Factory orders - 10:00am

Full report here August 2009 --------------- Released 10:00 A.M. EDT October 2, 2009 (M3-2(09)-08) Note: All figures in text are in seasonally adjusted current dollars For Data - (301) 763-4673 For Questions - Chris Savage or Jessica Young (301) 763-4832 Summary New orders for manufactured goods in August, down following four consecutive monthly increases, decreased $2.8 billion or 0.8 percent to $352.9 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 1.4 percent July increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.4 percent. Shipments, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.9 billion or 0.3 percent to $360.0 billion. This followed a 0.3 percent July increase. Unfilled orders, down eleven consecutive months, decreased $3.1 billion or 0.4 percent to $736.8 billion. This was the longest streak of consecutive monthly decreases since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992. This followed a 0.1 percent July decrease. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 5.98, up from 5.94 in July. Inventories, down twelve consecutive months, decreased $3.9 billion or 0.8 percent to $498.2 billion. This was the longest streak of consecutive monthly decreases since February 2001-May 2002 and followed a 0.9 percent July decrease. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.38, down from 1.39 in July. New Orders New orders for manufactured durable goods in August, down two of the last three months, decreased $4.4 billion or 2.6 percent to $164.1 billion, revised from the previously published 2.4 percent decrease. This followed a 4.8 percent July increase. New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased $1.5 billion or 0.8 percent to $188.7 billion. Shipments Shipments of manufactured durable goods in August, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased $2.4 billion or 1.4 percent to $171.3 billion, unchanged from the previously published decrease. This followed a 2.3 percent July increase. Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, up three of the last four months, increased $1.5 billion or 0.8 percent to $188.7 billion. This followed a 1.5 percent July decrease. This increase was due to petroleum and coal products, which increased $1.9 billion or 5.4 percent to $36.7 billion. Unfilled Orders Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in August, down eleven consecutive months, decreased $3.1 billion or 0.4 percent to $736.8 billion, unchanged from the previously published decrease. This was the longest streak of consecutive monthly decreases since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.1 percent July decrease. Inventories Inventories of manufactured durable goods in August, down eight consecutive months, decreased $4.5 billion or 1.4 percent to $308.4 billion, revised from the previously published 1.3 percent decrease. This followed a 1.2 percent July decrease. Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, up following eleven consecutive monthly decreases, increased $0.6 billion or 0.3 percent to $189.9 billion. This followed a 0.4 percent July decrease. Petroleum and coal products drove the increase, up $0.7 billion or 2.8 percent to $27.4 billion. By stage of fabrication, August materials and supplies decreased 0.8 percent in durable goods and 0.1 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process decreased 2.3 percent in durable goods and increased 1.4 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods decreased 1.0 percent in durable goods and increased 0.1 percent in nondurable goods.