U.S. Factory Orders Plunge Unexpectedly in August

New orders to U.S. factories fell in August by the largest amount in five months, as American manufacturers struggle to emerge from the recession.

The Commerce Department said Friday that demand for manufactured goods dropped 0.8 percent, much worse than the 0.7 percent gain that economists had expected. The August decline reflected plunging demand for commercial aircraft, a category that surged in July. (more)