May 4, 2004

50-0:

America's Factories See Surge in Orders (JEANNINE AVERSA, 5/04/04, Associated Press)

America's factories saw orders jump in March by the largest amount in more than a year and a half, a sign that the nation's manufacturers are getting a firmer grip on their own business recovery.

The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that orders placed with factories went up 4.3 percent in March from the previous month. That marked the biggest increase since July 2002 and exceeded economists' forecasts for a 2.4 percent advance.

March's orders figure, which followed a 1.1 percent increase in February, reflected stronger demand for a wide variety of goods, including cars, machinery, household appliances, food, clothes and chemicals.

Hard hit by the 2001 recession, the manufacturing sector has struggled over the last three years. But it is now getting back on solid footing. Still, many plants continue to operate below full throttle and employment remains lackluster.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 4, 2004 10:52 AM
Comments

You really think Kerry will do that well?

Posted by: Philip Shropshire at May 4, 2004 11:59 AM

No, I think he could lose DC too.

Posted by: oj at May 4, 2004 12:12 PM

Touche!

Posted by: Jack Sheet at May 4, 2004 12:27 PM

A few months ago the feeling was Bush was ok on Iraq but was in trouble over the economy. Now the opposite appears to be happening - Bush will be ok on the economy but in trouble over Iraq. It's going to be a weird election.

Posted by: AWW at May 4, 2004 12:27 PM

No one will remember Iraq exists by September.

Posted by: oj at May 4, 2004 2:20 PM

oj,

You keep claiming that Iraq is going to be a non-issue by some time before the election, but today the Pentagon is saying that troop strengths in Iraq will be maintained at 135,000 through 2005. Why so confident?

Posted by: Doug Sitkin at May 4, 2004 5:31 PM

Mr. Sitkin:

Because we won't care one they're in charge. Think one in a thousand Americans knows we have troops in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Korea, Japan, Germany, etc.?

Posted by: oj at May 4, 2004 6:04 PM

OJ - I agree that most don't know we have troops in those other countries. On the other hand we don't have dead soldiers every day being trumpeted by the media from those countries either (except Afghanistan).

Posted by: AWW at May 4, 2004 11:26 PM
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