ECONOMY

Machine Tool Orders Slip in November: Orders for U.S.-made machine tools, a gauge of the manufacturing economy, fell for the second month in a row, the Assn. for Manufacturing Technology said. November machine tool orders slid 4% to $241.2 million, down from $251.15 million in October. But the November orders were up 49.5% from a year ago. Overall, orders are running 30.6% ahead of last year, and the industry is headed for its strongest performance since 1988, according to Albert Moore, president of the trade association. Machine tools, which shape and cut metal, are used to make a wide array of manufactured products.