But orders for nonelectrical machinery, including computers and a wide variety of industrial equipment, slipped 4.3 percent, to $21.7 billion, after a 5.8 percent increase in November.

Orders for nonelectrical machinery rebounded 5.4 percent, to $22.5 billion, from a 5.1 percent drop in August.

Both electrical machinery and transportation categories posted gains while orders for nonelectrical machinery and primary metals fell.

Orders for nonelectrical machinery fell 2.5 percent, to $21.8 billion, after being unchanged in March.

Operating rates at factories producing chemical and nonelectrical machinery have also shown significant increases in the last year.

The department said orders in December for nonelectrical machinery fell 4.7 percent after rising 5.6 percent in November.

In addition the introduction of Windows 95, he said, "caused a 4.6 percent jump in orders for nonelectrical machinery, the third increase in the past four months."

But primary metals and nonelectrical machinery posted modest gains.

The biggest increases were in primary metals and nonelectrical machinery.

Most of the weakness in July came in military orders, which swing widely from month to month, and nonelectrical machinery.