Article: Factories see spark of recovery Durable goods orders rise in September, but demand remains weak, hiring slow

By RICK BARRETT

Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods rose in September, but economists and some local business executives worry that the recovery isn't very stable.

Wednesday, the Commerce Department said orders for items expected to last at least three years increased nearly 1% last month as the biggest demand for machinery since March 2008 offset weakness in the commercial aircraft and automobile industries.

Orders for non-defense capital goods, considered a barometer for business spending, rose 2% -- the strongest advance since June. A 7.9% increase in orders for machinery, the best showing in 18 months, led the overall improvement in durable goods.

Analysts expect ...

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