FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2005, AT 8:30 A.M. EST 

Chris Savage or Patrick Kent 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1(05)-11 

CB05-186

Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders 

November 2005 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

November increased $9.3 billion or 4.4 percent to 

$223.0 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced 

today. This was at the highest level since the series was 

first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 3.0 

percent October increase. Excluding transportation, new 

orders decreased 0.6 percent. Excluding defense, new 

orders increased 5.9 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up three of the last four 

months, had the largest increase, $10.1 billion or 15.6 

percent to $75.1 billion. This was due to nondefense 

aircraft and parts, which increased $14.8 billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in 

November, down two of the last three months, decreased 

$0.4 billion or 0.2 percent to $211.9 billion. This 

followed a 1.2 percent October increase. 

 Computers and electronic products, down two of the 

last three months, had the largest decrease, $0.4 billion 

or 1.0 percent to $37.0 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

November, up seven consecutive months, increased 

$18.5 billion or 3.1 percent to $621.8 billion. This was 

the largest increase since June 2000 and was at the 

highest level since the series began. This followed a 1.4 

percent October increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up seven consecutive 

months, had the largest increase, $16.4 billion or 5.5 

percent to $316.3 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in 

November, up four of the last five months, increased 

$1.6 billion or 0.5 percent to $285.3 billion. This 

followed a 0.5 percent October increase. 

 Computers and electronic products, up four of the last 

five months, had the largest increase, $0.6 billion or 1.3 

percent to $46.1 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in November 

increased $14.1 billion or 19.6 percent to $85.9 billion. 

Shipments increased $1.4 billion or 2.0 percent to $68.7 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $17.2 billion or 5.5 

percent to $329.1 billion. Inventories increased $0.6 

billion or 0.5 percent to $113.3 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in November 

decreased $2.6 billion or 26.6 percent to $7.2 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.2 billion or 2.5 percent to $7.6 

billion. Unfilled orders decreased $0.5 billion or 0.4 

percent to $133.9 billion. Inventories increased $0.2 

billion or 1.3 percent to $15.8 billion. 

Revised October Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted October figures for all 

manufacturing industries are: new orders, $398.4 billion 

(revised from $399.8 billion); shipments, $396.9 billion 

(revised from $397.6 billion); unfilled orders, $603.4 

billion (revised from 604.1 billion); and total 

inventories, $466.6 billion (revised from $466.3 billion). 

Figures in text, other than year-to-date, are in seasonally adjusted current dollars. Figures on new and unfilled orders 

exclude data for semiconductor manufacturing. For data, call (301) 763-4673 or go to <http://www.census.gov/m3>.

Revised and more detailed estimates, plus nondurable goods data, will be published on January 4, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. EST. 

The advance report on durable goods for December is scheduled for release on January 26, 2006, at 8:30 a.m. EST. See 

back page for survey description. 
 2

Table 1. Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments and New Orders

[Millions of Dollars]

Seasonally Adjusted Not Seasonally Adjusted 1

Monthly Percent Change Monthly Year to Date

Item Percent

Nov Oct Sep Oct - Sep - Aug - Nov Oct Nov Change

2005 2 2005 r 2005 Nov 2 Oct r Sep 2005 2 2005 r 2004 2005 2004 05/04

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments................................ 211,929 212,293 209,831 -0.2 1.2 0.0 208,362 216,707 196,326 2,280,925 2,151,490 6.0

 New Orders4.............................. 223,033 213,728 207,416 4.4 3.0 -2.0 218,454 216,994 194,824 2,269,877 2,110,657 7.5

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 153,210 153,283 151,714 0.0 1.0 0.5 149,989 154,759 140,948 1,646,995 1,519,786 8.4

 New Orders4.............................. 147,913 148,751 149,008 -0.6 -0.2 -0.1 143,640 150,211 134,689 1,593,826 1,472,009 8.3

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 202,917 203,042 200,372 -0.1 1.3 0.0 199,278 207,632 187,143 2,180,168 2,051,260 6.3

 New Orders4

.............................. 214,392 202,529 199,406 5.9 1.6 -2.0 210,092 206,373 185,852 2,182,075 2,010,156 8.6

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 145,139 144,967 141,933 0.1 2.1 -0.9 142,501 146,379 131,584 1,550,848 1,440,513 7.7

 New Orders4

.............................. 163,596 153,518 146,771 6.6 4.6 -3.7 160,159 153,798 137,552 1,617,921 1,474,064 9.8

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 16,261 16,126 15,866 0.8 1.6 2.6 15,455 16,373 14,717 173,682 158,787 9.4

 New Orders.............................. 17,443 17,201 17,247 1.4 -0.3 3.7 16,563 16,719 14,687 175,768 161,599 8.8

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 24,175 24,263 24,159 -0.4 0.4 0.7 23,631 25,228 22,946 264,807 250,228 5.8

 New Orders.............................. 24,282 24,874 25,133 -2.4 -1.0 0.8 23,276 25,508 22,991 269,853 256,474 5.2

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 27,084 26,932 26,619 0.6 1.2 0.9 25,456 26,859 22,791 288,015 262,239 9.8

 New Orders.............................. 27,360 27,809 27,213 -1.6 2.2 0.1 25,982 28,117 23,218 295,400 268,115 10.2

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments................................ 37,047 37,407 37,127 -1.0 0.8 -1.7 36,538 36,492 35,181 399,126 363,479 9.8

 New Orders4.............................. 29,970 29,760 30,676 0.7 -3.0 -4.0 28,691 29,179 27,318 327,144 296,300 10.4

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 8,398 8,392 7,940 0.1 5.7 -5.7 7,525 8,464 6,749 88,693 71,369 24.3

 New Orders.............................. 8,449 8,023 8,182 5.3 -1.9 -6.6 7,576 8,095 6,978 88,201 71,023 24.2 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 5,495 5,817 5,909 -5.5 -1.6 0.7 5,469 5,470 5,524 60,771 57,826 5.1

 New Orders.............................. 5,513 5,767 5,554 -4.4 3.8 -12.1 5,356 5,802 5,077 63,263 60,044 5.4

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments................................ 7,353 7,116 7,253 3.3 -1.9 -2.9 7,566 7,132 7,470 78,121 74,384 5.0

 New Orders4.............................. (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 9,940 10,024 9,753 -0.8 2.8 -0.4 10,034 10,039 9,230 105,128 97,762 7.5

 New Orders.............................. 10,364 10,179 10,364 1.8 -1.8 -0.1 10,327 10,383 9,489 108,282 99,833 8.5

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 58,719 59,010 58,117 -0.5 1.5 -1.2 58,373 61,948 55,378 633,930 631,704 0.4

 New Orders.............................. 75,120 64,977 58,408 15.6 11.2 -6.4 74,814 66,783 60,135 676,051 638,648 5.9

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 40,779 42,480 43,345 -4.0 -2.0 2.0 39,777 46,285 40,911 460,557 470,100 -2.0

 New Orders.............................. 40,454 42,898 44,009 -5.7 -2.5 3.4 39,665 46,504 40,983 461,289 470,694 -2.0 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 9,041 7,605 5,427 18.9 40.1 -22.5 9,741 6,940 5,504 73,344 62,445 17.5

 New Orders.............................. 25,930 11,093 7,316 133.8 51.6 -41.5 26,611 9,892 9,898 125,294 71,609 75.0

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 3,508 3,464 3,770 1.3 -8.1 -1.4 3,466 3,382 3,521 39,556 41,279 -4.2

 New Orders.............................. 3,951 7,098 2,912 -44.3 143.8 -2.7 3,677 6,509 2,890 33,519 32,901 1.9

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 38,703 38,531 38,190 0.4 0.9 1.5 38,875 39,768 36,083 416,237 387,291 7.5

 New Orders.............................. 38,494 38,928 38,375 -1.1 1.4 0.7 38,801 40,305 36,986 417,379 389,688 7.1

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 76,314 75,150 72,528 1.5 3.6 -2.5 74,133 73,755 65,474 795,321 724,930 9.7

 New Orders.............................. 93,021 81,528 74,009 14.1 10.2 -8.2 90,796 80,522 71,324 852,649 748,852 13.9

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 68,686 67,325 64,484 2.0 4.4 -2.9 66,383 66,050 57,464 710,017 637,771 11.3

 New Orders.............................. 85,869 71,786 67,293 19.6 6.7 -8.7 83,826 71,140 63,430 777,925 659,080 18.0

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 62,514 62,562 61,559 -0.1 1.6 -0.6 59,615 61,911 54,872 668,997 607,410 10.1

 New Orders.......................... 62,348 63,627 62,889 -2.0 1.2 -1.8 59,483 64,040 55,972 682,803 618,533 10.4

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 7,628 7,825 8,044 -2.5 -2.7 1.4 7,750 7,705 8,010 85,304 87,159 -2.1

 New Orders.............................. 7,152 9,742 6,716 -26.6 45.1 -2.7 6,970 9,382 7,894 74,724 89,772 -16.8

NA Not Available r Revised

1

 Shipments and new orders are the totals for the period and are adjusted for trading-day and calendar-month variations; unfilled orders and total inventories are as of the end of the period and are no

adjusted for trading-day or calendar-month variations

2

 Based on advance sample. Estimates of manufacturers' shipments, inventories, and orders are subject to survey error and revision. One major component of survey error is nonsampling error, whic

includes errors of coverage, response and nonreporting. Since the survey panel is not a probability sample, estimates of sampling error cannot be calculated. Further details on survey design

methodology, and data limitations are contained in our most recent annual benchmark publication, Current Industrial Reports: M3-3(04), "Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: 1992-2004

3

 The Capital Goods Industries include Nondefense : small arms and ordnance; farm machinery and equipment; construction machinery; mining, oil, and gas field machinery; industrial machinery; vendin

laundry, and other machinery; photographic equipment; metalworking machinery; turbines and generators; other power transmission equipment; pumps and compressors; material handling equipment; a

other machinery; electronic computers; computer storage devices; other computer peripheral equipment; communications equipment; search and navigation equipment; electromedical, measuring, an

control instruments; electrical equipment; other electrical equipment, appliances, and components; heavy duty trucks; aircraft; railroad rolling stock; ships and boats; office and institutional furniture; an

medical equipment and supplies

 Defense Capital Goods include : small arms and ordnance, communications equipment, aircraft; missiles, space vehicles, and parts, ships and boats, and search and navigation equipme

4 Data on new and unfilled orders are not available for the semiconductor industry. Estimates and percent changes for new orders and unfilled orders exclude semiconductor industry data. 

Inventories for semiconductor industry data are included in computers and electronic products and total durable goods industries, but are not shown separatel
 3

Table 2. Durable Goods Manufacturers' Unfilled Orders and Total Inventories

[Millions of Dollars]

Seasonally Adjusted Not Seasonally Adjusted 1

Monthly Percent Change Monthly Percent

Item Change

Nov Oct Sep Oct - Sep - Aug - Nov Oct Nov 2005/

2005 2 2005 r 2005 Nov 2 Oct r Sep 2005 2 2005 r 2004 2004

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 621,824 603,367 594,816 3.1 1.4 0.8 610,639 592,981 535,112 14.1

 Total Inventories....................... 285,306 283,746 282,301 0.5 0.5 0.1 285,984 284,277 274,521 4.2

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 305,517 303,461 300,877 0.7 0.9 1.5 299,905 298,688 273,493 9.7

 Total Inventories....................... 218,047 216,742 216,328 0.6 0.2 0.0 218,196 216,523 209,924 3.9

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 476,140 457,312 450,709 4.1 1.5 1.4 469,485 451,105 384,108 22.2

 Total Inventories....................... 265,595 264,320 263,123 0.5 0.5 0.0 266,279 264,810 255,967 4.0

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 621,824 603,367 594,816 3.1 1.4 0.8 610,639 592,981 535,112 14.1

 Total Inventories....................... 220,755 219,682 218,802 0.5 0.4 0.4 221,403 220,151 213,335 3.8

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 23,756 22,574 21,499 5.2 5.0 6.9 22,572 21,464 20,244 11.5

 Total Inventories....................... 23,834 23,841 23,961 0.0 -0.5 -0.8 23,787 23,624 22,608 5.2

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 47,991 47,884 47,273 0.2 1.3 2.1 46,856 47,211 41,907 11.8

 Total Inventories....................... 36,726 36,612 36,595 0.3 0.0 -0.4 36,236 36,231 35,237 2.8

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 83,350 83,074 82,197 0.3 1.1 0.7 81,985 81,459 74,008 10.8

 Total Inventories....................... 47,678 47,513 47,630 0.3 -0.2 0.1 47,932 47,509 44,900 6.8

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 116,942 116,666 117,197 0.2 -0.5 0.7 114,890 115,171 106,818 7.6

 Total Inventories....................... 46,070 45,487 44,953 1.3 1.2 0.4 46,904 46,038 46,284 1.3

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 5,925 5,874 6,243 0.9 -5.9 4.0 5,925 5,874 5,936 -0.2

 Total Inventories....................... 5,264 5,258 5,430 0.1 -3.2 0.4 5,544 5,389 5,399 2.7

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 38,307 38,289 38,339 0.0 -0.1 -0.9 37,717 37,830 34,977 7.8

 Total Inventories....................... 10,537 10,161 9,766 3.7 4.0 -1.9 10,976 10,280 11,219 -2.2

 Semiconductors:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)

 Total Inventories4....................... (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 18,710 18,286 18,131 2.3 0.9 3.5 18,565 18,272 16,022 15.9

 Total Inventories....................... 12,950 12,898 12,833 0.4 0.5 1.2 12,825 12,738 12,214 5.0

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 316,307 299,906 293,939 5.5 2.0 0.1 310,734 294,293 261,619 18.8

 Total Inventories....................... 67,259 67,004 65,973 0.4 1.6 0.4 67,788 67,754 64,597 4.9

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 16,493 16,818 16,400 -1.9 2.5 4.2 16,002 16,114 14,910 7.3

 Total Inventories....................... 24,732 24,602 24,076 0.5 2.2 -1.7 24,773 24,695 23,742 4.3 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 176,230 159,341 155,853 10.6 2.2 1.2 174,536 157,666 118,563 47.2

 Total Inventories....................... 22,448 22,485 22,237 -0.2 1.1 1.8 22,910 22,997 22,525 1.7

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 51,176 50,733 47,099 0.9 7.7 -1.8 49,360 49,149 55,485 -11.0

 Total Inventories....................... 11,934 11,823 11,534 0.9 2.5 2.1 11,929 11,909 10,630 12.2

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 14,768 14,977 14,580 -1.4 2.7 1.3 15,037 15,111 14,494 3.7

 Total Inventories....................... 50,789 50,391 50,356 0.8 0.1 0.0 50,512 50,383 48,681 3.8

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 463,047 446,340 439,962 3.7 1.4 0.3 455,772 439,109 391,450 16.4

 Total Inventories....................... 129,037 128,235 128,070 0.6 0.1 0.7 130,712 129,012 125,346 4.3

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 329,108 311,925 307,464 5.5 1.5 0.9 325,872 308,429 253,939 28.3

 Total Inventories....................... 113,266 112,664 112,714 0.5 0.0 0.6 114,942 113,486 109,953 4.5

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 172,793 172,959 171,894 -0.1 0.6 0.8 170,757 170,889 156,281 9.3

 Total Inventories................... 95,200 94,454 94,553 0.8 -0.1 0.2 96,401 94,805 91,949 4.8

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 133,939 134,415 132,498 -0.4 1.4 -1.0 129,900 130,680 137,511 -5.5

 Total Inventories....................... 15,771 15,571 15,356 1.3 1.4 2.0 15,770 15,526 15,393 2.4

See footnotes at end of Table 1 
Survey Description 

This report is compiled from results of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders 

(M3) survey. This survey provides statistics on manufacturers' value of shipments, new orders (net of cancellations), 

end-of-month order backlog (unfilled orders), end-of-month total inventory (at current cost or market value), and 

inventories by stage of fabrication (materials and supplies, work-in-process, and finished goods). The M3 includes 

approximately 4,000 reporting units. Units may be divisions of diversified large companies, large homogenous 

companies, or single-unit manufacturers in 89 industry categories. Due to the small monthly sample, these 89 

categories have been combined into 59 publication levels. The survey methodology assumes that the month-tomonth changes of the total operations of those companies in the monthly survey effectively represent the month-tomonth movements of all establishments that make up the category. The current coverage levels in the survey show 

that reported data in the monthly survey represent approximately 60 percent of the shipments estimates at the total 

manufacturing level. Data published represent manufacturing in a calendar month. The data collection is based on a 

voluntary survey authorized by Title 13 of the United States Code. 

The data presented in this release are based on data obtained from a panel of 4,000 reporting units and provide an 

indication of the activity within the manufacturing sector. The results differ from what would be obtained from a 

complete enumeration of all manufacturing companies. In addition, a different panel of 4,000 companies would 

yield different results. The M3 panel is comprised of companies with $500 million or more in shipments and a 

limited number of smaller companies. From a statistical perspective, the panel is not a probability sample; therefore, 

the sampling errors that are normally provided with sample surveys cannot be measured. Nonsampling errors are 

attributable to many sources. The use of company or divisional reports to estimate the monthly change for 

establishments is one source of nonsampling error. The use of primarily large companies to represent the month-tomonth movement of all companies is another potential source. 

Additional survey documentation can be found on our web site: http://www.census.gov/m3.

2006 Release Dates for M3 Survey

Survey Month Advance 8:30 A.M. Preliminary 10:00 A.M. 

Nov 2005 January 4, 2006 

Dec 2005 January 26, 2006 February 3, 2006 

Jan 2006 February 24, 2006 March 6, 2006 

Feb 2006 March 24, 2006 March 31, 2006 

Mar 2006 April 26, 2006 May 3, 2006 

Apr 2006 May 24, 2006 June 2, 2006 

May 2006 June 23, 2006 July 5, 2006 

Jun 2006 July 27, 2006 August 3, 2006 

Jul 2006 August 24, 2006 August 31, 2006 

Aug 2006 September 27, 2006 October 4, 2006 

Sep 2006 October 26, 2006 November 2, 2006

Oct 2006 November 28, 2006 December 5, 2006

Nov 2006 December 22, 2006