(Adds economist comment, background)
BERLIN, Jan 8 (Reuters) - German manufacturing orders dropped by a much bigger-than-expected 6.0 percent in November, hit by collapsing demand at home and abroad and deepening the gloom facing Europe's largest economy in 2009.
In the preliminary data released by the Economy Ministry on Thursday, the orders figure for October was also revised down to show a decline of 6.3 percent on the month compared with 6.1 percent previously reported.
"Industry is in freefall," said Goldman Sachs economist Dirk Schumacher.
The seasonally adjusted drop in the November figure compared
with the consensus forecast in a Reuters poll for a fall of 1.1
percent
Demand declined on a broad front both domestically and from abroad, the ministry said. Domestic orders fell by 7.6 percent, with foreign orders down 4.4 percent [ID:nBAE001533]
"The nightmare continues," said Fabienne Riefer at Postbank.
"We are seeing miserable data across the board -- there is no ray of hope. The economic horror scenario for the winter months is taking shape. Gross domestic product in the fourth quarter will have contracted significantly," she added.
Earlier on Thursday, Statistics Office figures showed German exports posted a record fall in November as demand for cars and others mainstays of the manufacturing economy plummeted.
Germany fell into recession in the third quarter of last year and leading economic institutes have forecast the economy could contract by 2 percent or more in 2009 -- which would be easily the worst annual performance in the post-war era.
In a sign of how German manufacturers are suffering,
industrial conglomerate MAN