Furniture orders were up for October.

Orders for new residential furniture were up by 11 percent in October compared to October of 2010, according to the latest survey of manufacturers by High Point accounting and consulting firm Smith Leonard.

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The 11-percent jump was from a fairly weak October last year, though, and the October 2011 figure was down 5 percent from September of this year, the survey noted. Year to date, new furniture orders are running 7 percent higher in 2011 than 2010.

Shipments of completed orders were up by 6 percent from a year prior, and down 6 percent from September. Year-to-date shipments were running 3 percent ahead of 2010.

Factory and warehouse employee counts were basically flat from both September and October of last year, but payrolls were up 10 percent from a year ago, indicating more hours of work per employee.

"We do feel that the furniture industry as a whole is improving, admittedly slower than we would like," survey author Ken Smith said.