FRANKFURT - Orders at German printed circuit board fabricators rose 4% year-over-year in April and 2.4% sequentially, the trade group ZVEI said.

Revenue per actual working day was up 7.8% for the month, the trade group said.

Year to date through May, orders were up 3.4% from 2012.

The book-to-bill ratio rose to 1.08, meaning that for every 100 euros worth of boards sold, 108 euros worth were ordered. A ratio above 1.0 is considered a sign of an expanding market.

The number of employees at German PCB manufacturers fell 6% as companies like Multek shed operations.