Core private-sector machinery orders increased for the second straight month in November, due in part to receding worries about a serious downturn in the global economy, the government said Wednesday.

The orders, which exclude those for ships as well as from utilities because of their volatility, grew a seasonally adjusted 3.9 percent from October to ¥732.1 billion, the Cabinet Office said.

The government, however, said machinery orders, a leading indicator for capital spending by companies, haven't reached a strong state.