Key figures from the Preliminary Report on
Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders by the Department of Commerce,
Bureau of the Census.
The statistics for September 2000 are
below.
New orders
New factory orders for
manufactured goods increased $6.2 billion or 1.6% in September, a slight
decrease from the 2% gain in August. This is the fourth increase in the past
five months. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.7%. Year-to-date,
new orders are 8.7% above the same period a year ago; new orders for the third
quarter are 1.8% below the second quarter. Electronic and electrical components
had the largest increase of $5.1 billon or 12.9% to $45.0 billion, due primarily
to electronic components and communication equipment but computer equipment
orders fell 11%. Transportation equipment, up four of the last five months,
increased $3.8 billon or 7.6% to $53.2 billion; led by aircraft and parts.
Primary metals increased $0.6 billion or 3.8% to $16.0 billon. Industrial
machinery and equipment decreased $2.3 billon or 5.1% to $43.4 billon. This is
the largest decrease since October 1998. Durable goods orders increased $5.1
billion or 3.0% to $222.4 billion. New orders for nondurable goods
decreased $0.3 billion or 0.2% to $166.2 billion.
Shipments
Shipments of durable goods in
September increased $0.3 billion or 0.2% to $214.4 billion, unrevised from the
previously published 0.2% increase. This is the fourth increase in the last five
months. Transportation equipment had the largest increase, $1.0 billion or 2.0%,
led by motor vehicles and parts. Electronic and other electrical equipment, up
six of the last seven months, increased $0.6 billon or 1.6% to $41.8 billion.
Industrial machinery and equipment, down four of the last five months, decreased
$0.5 billion or 1.2% to $43.1 billion.
Price cuts in chemicals and
related products drove a 0.4% or $0.7 billion decline in nondurable goods
orders.
Unfilled Orders
Unfilled orders for durable
goods in September increased $8.0 billion or 1.4% to $563.9 billion. this is the
thirteenth increase in the last fifteen months. Transportation equipment had the
largest increase, $4.6 billion or 1.97% to $248.8 billion, due to aircraft and
parts. Electronic and other electrical equipment increased $3.2 billion or 3.2%
to $103.5 billion.
Inventories
Inventories of durable goods
increased $0.3 billion or 0.1% in September to $305.4 billion. This is the
twelfth increase in the last thirteen months. Industrial machinery and equipment
had the largest increase, $0.2 billion or 0.3% to $62.5 billon. This is the
sixth consecutive increase. Inventories of nondurable goods, up fourteen of the
last fifteen months, increased $0.5 billion or 0.3% to $183.0 billion. By stage
of fabrication, September finished goods increased 0.3% in durables and 0.7% in
nondurables. Work in process decreased 0.1% in durables and 0.6% in nondurables.
Materials and supplies increased slightly in durables and 0.2% in
nondurables.
