Orders for durable goods in the US are booming Orders for durable goods in the United States increased by 2 percent in June compared to a month earlier. The US Department of Commerce reported this on the basis of a provisional figure. Economists generally assumed a 0.7 percent increase for orders for goods that last more than three years. In May, those orders fell by a revised 2.3 percent. US wholesale stocks slightly up Wholesale stocks in the United States increased by 0.2 percent in June compared to the previous month. This is according to provisional figures published by the US Department of Commerce. Economists had generally predicted an increase of 0.5 percent. Stocks rose by 0.4 percent in May. Fewer unemployment benefit applications in the US The number of first applications for unemployment benefits in the United States amounted to 206,000 last week. That meant a decrease of 10,000 compared to a week earlier. The US Department of Labor announced this. Last week, economists assumed an average of 218,000 new requests for unemployment benefits. The number of first applications was 216,000 a week earlier.
