German factory orders rise in May after 2 huge declines

BERLIN (AP) — German factory orders recovered some ground in May. They rose 10.4% compared with the previous month after huge drops in March and April. The figure reported Monday by the Economy Ministry followed declines of 15% in March and 26.2% in April. The ministry said it suggests that the recession in industry is past its worst, but “the still-low level of orders also shows that the catching-up process is far from concluded.” The rise in May was led by orders from other c