According to the U.S. Commerce Department, orders for durable goods soared 3.4% in March. The number for February orders was revised upward to a rise of 3.8%. Durable goods are defined as products with a normal life expectancy of three years or more, like furniture, aircraft, computers, and automobiles.

These numbers are indeed great news for the American economy, especially for the long-beleaguered manufacturing sector. Factory production has been strengthening of late, with factory job creation hitting a 17-year high. And the good news keeps coming.

The Labor Department reported that 308,000 U.S. jobs were created in March, and 759,000 total have been added since August.