The Commerce Department reported Thursday that orders for ``big ticket'' durable goods, excluding the volatile defense category, climbed 1.8 percent in November, a healthy increase which economists took as a sign of continued strength in the new year. When defense orders are included, total durable goods orders edged up only 0.1 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted $122.89 billion. That followed a giant 2.9 percent rise in October. The overall figure was inflated by a big jump in military orders in October and then depressed when military orders returned to more normal levels last month. Discounting the swings in defense, orders in the civilian category climbed 1.8 percent in November, the best showing since a 5.2 percent August increase. Civilian orders had risen only 0.2 percent in October. Analysts said they were impressed by the strength in civilian orders, saying the orders should keep U.S. plants humming through the first half of 1989. ``This was an impressive gain and it should pretty much insure that the economy will keep growing next year,'' said Michael Evans, head of a Washington forecasting firm. Analysts were particularly impressed with a 2.6 percent rise in orders for business capital goods, which rose to $35.5 billion. This industry is closely watched for signals of business intentions to expand and modernize. It was the first increase in this category after two consecutive monthly declines and eased fears that business investment could be tapering off. ``With business investment bouncing back up, there is a lot less reason to worry about next year,'' said David Wyss, an economist with Data Resources Inc. ``On the whole, things look pretty good, with strong shipments and strong orders promising continued growth.'' The manufacturing sector has been a driving force in the economy this year as U.S. companies have benefited from a weaker dollar which has boosted overseas sales. The boom in exports has in turn led to a surge in investment spending as businesses rushed to expanded production facilities. For November, much of the strength in durable goods _ items expected to last at least three years _ came from an 8.1 percent rise in demand for electrical machinery, which climbed to $20.5 billion. Much of this increase reflected rising demand for defense communications equipment. Total defense orders, however, fell by 17.6 percent to $8.81 billion following a 43.1 percent surge in October. The defense category is highly erratic, depending on when big government contracts are signed. Transportation orders fell 6.3 percent to $32.69 billion as virtually all categories except civilian aircraft suffered setbacks. Orders for non-electrical machinery edged down 0.5 percent to $21.05 billion, the third consecutive decline. Orders for primary metals rose 0.8 percent to $12.52 billion and now stand 11.4 percent higher than they were a year ago. Shipments of durable goods increased 1 percent to $119.6 billion in November, following a 0.3 percent advance in October.
