Durable goods demand shows economy strengthening

New Orders
New orders for manufactured durable goods in
September decreased $1.5 billion or 0.8 percent to
$200.3 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced
today. This decrease, down three of the last four
months, followed a 0.1 percent August decrease.
Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.7
percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 1.1
percent.

Transportation equipment, down following two
consecutive monthly increases, had the largest decrease,
$4.0 billion or 7.5 percent to $49.6 billion.

Shipments
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in
September, down following four consecutive monthly
increases, decreased $1.4 billion or 0.7 percent to $200.1
billion. This followed a 0.1 percent August increase.

Transportation equipment, down two consecutive
months, had the largest decrease, $1.3 billion or 2.7
percent to $45.6 billion.

Unfilled Orders
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in
September, up seventeen of the last eighteen months,
increased $6.9 billion or 0.8 percent to $885.3 billion.
This followed a 0.8 percent August increase.

Transportation equipment, up nine consecutive
months, had the largest increase, $3.9 billion or 0.8
percent to $512.1 billion.

Inventories
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in
September, up twenty one consecutive months, increased
$0.4 billion or 0.1 percent to $365.6 billion. This was at
the highest level since the series was first published on a
NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.9 percent August
increase.

Transportation equipment, also up twenty one
consecutive months, had the largest increase, $0.5 billion
or 0.5 percent to $112.7 billion.

Capital Goods
Nondefense new orders for capital goods in September
decreased $1.8 billion or 2.3 percent to $76.0 billion.
Shipments decreased $0.8 billion or 1.2 percent to $70.6
billion. Unfilled orders increased $5.4 billion or 1.0
percent to $521.9 billion. Inventories increased $0.3
billion or 0.2 percent to $167.1 billion.

Defense new orders for capital goods in September
increased $0.7 billion or 8.6 percent to $8.7 billion.
Shipments increased slightly or 0.5 percent to $7.6
billion. Unfilled orders increased $1.2 billion or 0.8
percent to $153.0 billion. Inventories decreased $0.5
billion or 2.2 percent to $20.1 billion.

Revised August Data
Revised seasonally adjusted August figures for all
manufacturing industries were: new orders, $451.6
billion (revised from $451.0 billion); shipments, $451.2
billion (revised from $450.2 billion); unfilled orders,
$878.4 billion (revised from $878.8 billion); and total
inventories, $600.7 billion (revised from $601.2 billion).