The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits edged higher last week to 745,000, a sign that many employers continue to cut jobs despite a drop in confirmed viral infections and evidence that the overall economy is improving.

Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket goods shot up 3.4% in January, pulled up by surge in orders for civilian aircraft. A category that tracks business investment posted a more modest gain, the Commerce Department reported Feb. 25.

WASHINGTON — American industry expanded for the fourth consecutive month in January, but it has yet to return to the level of activity that preceded the pandemic.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. trade deficit rose 17.7% last year to $679 billion, highest since 2008, as the coronavirus disrupted global commerce and confounded President Donald Trump’s attempts to rebalance America’s trade with the rest of the world.

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose again last week to 885,000, the highest weekly total since September.

The U.S. trade deficit widened 1.7% in October to $63.1 billion. The politically sensitive gap in the trade of goods with China and Mexico grew.

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell slightly last week to 751,000, a still-historically high level that shows that many employers keep cutting jobs in the face of the accelerating pandemic.

American industry continued to regain ground lost in the coronavirus recession last month, but production remains well below where it was before the pandemic struck.

American factories contracted for the third straight month in May as they continued to sustain economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic.

Manufacturing contracted in the United States and around the world last month, dragged down by economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.