BRUSSELS, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- New factory orders in the euro zone dropped 3.8 percent in September, Eurostat said Wednesday.
Orders fell after rising 5.1 percent from July to August. In the 27-member European Union, new orders dropped 2.5 percent, Eurostat said.
Core factory production, which excludes big-ticket transportation orders dropped 3.3 percent in the 16 countries that use the euro as currency and 0.7 percent in the larger EU.
From September 2009, orders were up 13.5 percent in the euro area and 13.4 percent in the EU. Excluding planes, trains and ships, orders from a year ago were up 15.6 percent in the euro zone and 5.2 percent in the EU.
New orders dropped sharpest by far in Denmark with demand down 27.3 percent from August. In Greece, orders dropped 16.3 percent. In Ireland, which is presently negotiating an international bailout, orders rose 2.7 percent month-to-month.
Orders rose highest in Estonia, up 8.5 percent. In Germany, the largest economy in Europe, new orders fell 3.5 percent.
