SAN JOSE – The worldwide electronics manufacturing services market grew 12.5% last year, while the assembly market rose only 0.5%, according to Electronic Trends Publications.

2009 will see a steady drop, but the EMS market will surge again in 2010, as a result of outsourcing, says ETP.

The research firm says electronics assembly reached $964 billion last year, and will reach more than $1.2 trillion in 2013. The firm says the EMS industry will increase from $294 billion in 2008 to $435 billion in 2013.

STAMFORD, CT – Worldwide PC shipments will drop 6% in 2009 to 274 million units, says Gartner Inc. in a revised forecast.

The firm had predicted a decline of 6.6% in May, and a 9.2% drop in March.

Gartner expects a 10% decrease in the second and third quarters, but predicts growth in the fourth quarter compared to 2008.

The firm also expects shipments to increase 10.3% in 2010.

Netbooks are expected to reach 21 million units in 2009 and 30 million next year, the firm says.

Gartner forecasts mobile PC units to increase 4.1% in 2009, but expects revenue to fall 12.8%. Desktops are expected to decrease 15.7%, with a 26.6% drop in spending.

WASHINGTON – Manufactured goods orders to US factories rose 1.8% in May, matching growth in April, the Commerce Department says.

This is a strong improvement over the economists’ expectation of a 0.6% decline.

Non-defense capital goods orders were up 4.8%, the largest increase in nearly five years.

Excluding transportation, durable goods orders were up 1.1% in May. Transportation products demand rose 3.6%, with commercial aircraft orders surging 68.1%.

However, demand for motor vehicles and parts dropped 8.1%. Machinery orders increased 7.7%, and demand for computers and related products rose 9.4%, say published reports.

Nevertheless, new home sales fell 0.6% during the month, the Commerce Department says. Sales were down nearly 33% year-over-year.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – North American PWB shipments in May dropped 32.2% year-over-year, while orders decreased 24.8% compared to May 2008, says IPC.