New orders for long-lasting U.S.-made goods plunged unexpectedly by 2.8 percent in March, the biggest drop since September 2002, as orders for aircraft fell sharply, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.
The March drop, showing much more weakness than had been expected, followed declines of 0.2 percent in February and 1.2 percent in January. It left new orders for durable goods, everything from bicycles to battleships, at a seasonally adjusted $194.03 billion in February.
