New orders for manufactured durable goods in August decreased $4.8 billion or 2.0 percent to $236.3 billion, the US Census Bureau announced Thursday. This decrease, down following two consecutive monthly increases, followed a 1.9 percent July increase. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased less than $0.1 billion, or virtually unchanged. Excluding defense, new orders decreased $2.2 billion or 1.0 percent. Transportation equipment, also down following two consecutive monthly increases, led the decrease, $4.8 billion or 5.8 percent to $78.7 billion.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in August, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased less than $0.1 billion, or virtually unchanged, to $243.2 billion. This followed a 1.0 percent July increase. Primary metals, down ten of the last eleven months, drove the decrease, $0.2 billion or 1.0 percent to $20.5 billion.
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in August, down following two consecutive monthly
increases, decreased $2.2 billion or 0.2 percent to $1,195.3 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent July increase. Transportation equipment, also down following two consecutive monthly increases, led the decrease, $2.1 billion or 0.3 percent to $800.3 billion.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in August, up two of the last three months, increased $0.1 billion, or virtually unchanged, to $401.4 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent July decrease. Transportation equipment, up four of the last five months, drove the increase, $0.9 billion or 0.7 percent to $132.5 billion total inventories, $650.8 billion (revised from $651.2.)