Orders for U.S. durable goods increased 0.3% to US$200.81 billion in February after falling 1.1% in January, the U.S. Commerce Department said today. January demand was earlier estimated dropping 1.3%.

February orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft — a measure of business spending — fell 2.1%, after a 4.4% increase in January and a 3.4% climb in December.

The 0.3% move upward in overall orders last month was weaker than expected on Wall Street. Economists had predicted orders would climb by 0.6%.

Transportation orders rose 1.6% in February. January orders were down 6.3%. Motor vehicles and parts dropped 1.2% last month. Defense aircraft rose 11.3% but non-defense aircraft jumped 32.1%. Absent transportation, orders for all other durable goods decreased 0.2%, following January’s 0.9% rise.

Capital-goods orders increased 0.6%; orders were unchanged in January. Non-defense capital goods — items meant to last 10 years or more — were flat last month. Defense-related capital goods orders were up 6.5%. Demand climbed in February for computers and electronics by 1.2%. Orders fell 4.5% for electrical equipment. Primary metals increased 0.6% but fabricated metals were down 1.0%. Machinery fell 1.1%.

Durable-goods inventories rose 0.6% last month, as did unfilled orders. Shipments, however, tumbled 1.6%.

Separately, the Labor Department said initial jobless claims rose by 3,000 to 324,000, after seasonal adjustments, in the week that ended March 19. The four-week average rose by 3,500 to a seven-week high of 321,750.