Free Republic

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for big-ticket U.S. manufactured items rose unexpectedly in March, buoyed by healthy demand across most categories, the government said on Thursday in a report showing badly needed improvement in the hard-hit factory sector. But the labor market eroded further, as the number of workers signing up for unemployment aid last week hit its highest level in more than a year, a separate report showed. Still, signs of a pickup in business spending, crucial to a strong recovery for the U.S. economy, were evident in the Commerce Department's latest data on durable goods orders. Commerce said new...