HIGH POINT, NC - Furniture accounting and consulting firm Smith Leonard reports that furniture orders for October climbed 6% over October 2011.

New furniture orders for the first 10 months of 2012 are 5% greater than that of the first 10 months of 2011, according to Smith Leonard's monthly survey of residential furniture manufacturers and distributors.

Improved business has also led to higher inventories, which Smith Leonard said while not "significantly out of line with current volume levels" ill still need to monitored. What's more, Smith Leonard said employment is up 4% year-to-date and payrolls have expanded 5%.