Durable Goods Orders Jump Nearly 3 Percent in August, Core Business Investment Gauge Rises

Aircraft orders drove the rebound in durable goods orders while business equipment spending showed steady gains.

A Boeing 737-823 operated by American Airlines takes off from the Reagan National Airport as U.S. flags flutter in Washington on Nov. 23, 2024. Benoit Tessier/Reuters

Demand for U.S. durable goods rebounded in August after two straight months of declines, while a key measure of business investment posted another gain in a sign of resilience in the manufacturing sector.

Orders for durable goods—ranging from computers to aircraft—increased by 2.9 percent last month, the Commerce Department’s Census Bureau reported on Sept. 25.