FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2008, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (08)-04 

CB08-83

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

April 2008 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in April 

decreased $1.0 billion or 0.5 percent to $214.4 billion, 

the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This was the 

third decrease in four months and followed a 0.3 percent 

March decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders 

increased 2.5 percent. Excluding defense, new orders 

decreased 0.3 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, down three of the last four 

months, had the largest decrease, $4.8 billion or 8.0 

percent to $56.1 billion. 

 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, up 

following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased 

$2.5 billion or 1.2 percent to $212.2 billion. This 

followed a 0.9 percent March decrease. 

 Computers and electronic products, up following two 

consecutive monthly decreases, had the largest increase, 

$1.4 billion or 4.3 percent to $32.8 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

April, up twenty-six of the last twenty-seven months, 

increased $7.6 billion or 1.0 percent to $804.5 billion. 

This was at the highest level since the series was first 

stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.3 

percent March increase. 

 Machinery, up ten of the last eleven months, had the 

largest increase, $3.1 billion or 3.3 percent to $97.5 

billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, up 

nine of the last ten months, increased $1.7 billion or 0.5 

percent to $328.6 billion. This was also at the highest 

level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis 

in 1992 and followed a 1.0 percent March increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up nineteen of the last 

twenty months, had the largest increase, $0.6 billion or 

0.7 percent to $85.4 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in April 

decreased $1.0 billion or 1.4 percent to $74.4 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.9 billion or 1.3 percent to $67.6 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $6.8 billion or 1.5 

percent to $465.6 billion. Inventories increased $0.7 

billion or 0.6 percent to $134.3 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in April 

increased $0.4 billion or 4.8 percent to $8.8 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.4 billion or 4.5 percent to $9.0 

billion. Unfilled orders decreased $0.3 billion or 0.2 

percent to $136.8 billion. Inventories increased $0.3 

billion or 1.7 percent to $19.3 billion. 

Revised March Data 

 Revised and recently benchmarked seasonally adjusted 

March figures for all manufacturing industries were: 

new orders, $439.7 billion (revised from $432.3 billion); 

shipments, $434.0 billion (revised from $428.7 billion); 

unfilled orders, $796.9 billion (revised from $832.3 

billion); and total inventories, $546.0 billion (revised 

from $544.3 billion).

Figures in text 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 June 3, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The 

advance report on durable goods for May is scheduled for release on June 25, 2008, at 8:30 a.m. EDT. 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

Apr Mar Feb Mar - Feb - Jan - Apr Mar Apr Change

2008 2 2008 r 2008 Apr 2 Mar r Feb 2008 2 2008 r 2007 2008 2007 08/07

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments............................... 212,241 209,769 211,772 1.2 -0.9 -1.9 211,253 222,338 210,551 835,760 831,452 0.5

 New Orders 4

........................... 214,417 215,452 216,101 -0.5 -0.3 1.1 211,554 231,198 215,166 859,101 854,236 0.6

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments............................... 158,441 156,402 156,070 1.3 0.2 -1.4 158,639 164,987 155,383 618,905 604,155 2.4

 New Orders 4

........................... 158,306 154,492 151,893 2.5 1.7 -1.2 159,643 165,248 151,721 620,498 599,818 3.4

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments............................... 200,494 198,462 200,554 1.0 -1.0 -2.4 200,247 209,821 201,798 792,634 795,542 -0.4

 New Orders 4

........................... 203,081 203,759 203,704 -0.3 0.0 0.3 202,531 215,667 208,221 811,109 816,872 -0.7

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments............................... 151,688 150,518 150,254 0.8 0.2 -0.7 150,450 160,795 145,990 593,978 576,871 3.0

 New Orders 4

........................... 159,319 160,550 159,255 -0.8 0.8 2.1 156,300 173,927 157,022 638,681 622,839 2.5

 Primary metals:

 Shipments............................... 21,920 21,403 21,012 2.4 1.9 1.3 23,208 22,192 20,809 87,178 80,127 8.8

 New Orders.............................. 22,299 21,693 21,331 2.8 1.7 1.4 23,697 22,768 21,820 90,231 82,590 9.3

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments............................... 27,588 27,272 26,815 1.2 1.7 -0.8 28,281 27,466 27,292 107,084 105,903 1.1

 New Orders.............................. 27,912 28,293 26,969 -1.3 4.9 0.3 28,911 30,008 27,952 111,584 109,752 1.7

 Machinery:

 Shipments............................... 28,668 29,043 29,216 -1.3 -0.6 4.1 30,062 31,867 28,991 116,134 106,898 8.6

 New Orders.............................. 31,799 30,506 28,126 4.2 8.5 -8.3 33,941 33,356 29,114 125,892 113,438 11.0

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments............................... 32,798 31,440 31,733 4.3 -0.9 -8.8 29,636 35,513 30,137 124,836 123,860 0.8

 New Orders 4

........................... 27,492 27,923 27,640 -1.5 1.0 1.5 23,903 32,454 23,692 106,406 103,195 3.1

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments............................... 5,329 5,448 5,512 -2.2 -1.2 -1.6 4,387 6,568 4,655 20,150 19,913 1.2

 New Orders.............................. 5,204 5,677 5,666 -8.3 0.2 12.8 4,262 6,797 4,480 19,832 19,806 0.1 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments............................... 5,551 5,803 5,716 -4.3 1.5 0.1 4,826 6,804 5,006 21,217 21,043 0.8

 New Orders.............................. 5,955 5,824 5,790 2.2 0.6 6.1 5,381 7,102 5,026 22,810 21,846 4.4

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments............................... 5,455 4,349 4,672 25.4 -6.9 -31.2 5,549 4,272 6,417 21,362 23,184 -7.9

 New Orders 4

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments............................... 10,585 10,530 10,548 0.5 -0.2 -1.5 10,507 10,976 10,630 41,187 40,895 0.7

 New Orders.............................. 11,849 9,269 11,429 27.8 -18.9 2.5 11,996 9,390 11,129 43,776 43,508 0.6

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments............................... 53,800 53,367 55,702 0.8 -4.2 -3.2 52,614 57,351 55,168 216,855 227,297 -4.6

 New Orders.............................. 56,111 60,960 64,208 -8.0 -5.1 7.2 51,911 65,950 63,445 238,603 254,418 -6.2

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments............................... 33,547 34,540 36,766 -2.9 -6.1 -2.4 34,019 35,789 39,434 143,339 162,582 -11.8

 New Orders.............................. 33,432 34,586 36,398 -3.3 -5.0 -2.3 33,911 35,443 39,124 142,627 162,606 -12.3 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 8,680 7,908 8,209 9.8 -3.7 -17.4 7,899 9,311 7,093 32,199 29,972 7.4

 New Orders.............................. 12,097 16,000 14,721 -24.4 8.7 12.4 9,349 17,085 14,768 51,403 52,632 -2.3

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 4,639 4,500 4,593 3.1 -2.0 31.4 4,141 5,111 2,945 16,250 12,184 33.4

 New Orders.............................. 4,410 4,638 4,344 -4.9 6.8 11.7 3,621 6,071 1,752 17,850 10,165 75.6

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments............................... 36,882 36,714 36,746 0.5 -0.1 -0.6 36,945 36,973 37,524 142,486 146,472 -2.7

 New Orders.............................. 36,955 36,808 36,398 0.4 1.1 -1.1 37,195 37,272 38,014 142,609 147,335 -3.2

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments............................... 76,621 75,349 74,879 1.7 0.6 -3.4 73,983 83,623 70,674 296,787 282,750 5.0

 New Orders.............................. 83,171 83,813 83,976 -0.8 -0.2 2.4 78,227 93,759 80,669 332,053 318,784 4.2

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 67,582 66,701 66,455 1.3 0.4 -3.6 65,328 74,191 63,379 262,948 253,062 3.9

 New Orders.............................. 74,392 75,439 74,408 -1.4 1.4 1.6 71,391 82,241 74,893 294,803 287,311 2.6

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 62,809 62,521 62,023 0.5 0.8 -1.3 61,151 69,110 59,471 245,832 236,757 3.8

 New Orders........................ 65,883 63,230 63,860 4.2 -1.0 -0.9 65,345 69,841 63,045 260,014 250,346 3.9

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 9,039 8,648 8,424 4.5 2.7 -1.6 8,655 9,432 7,295 33,839 29,688 14.0

 New Orders.............................. 8,779 8,374 9,568 4.8 -12.5 9.2 6,836 11,518 5,776 37,250 31,473 18.4

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 not 

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, which

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(07), "Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: 2004-2007."

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; vending

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

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

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

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 equipmen

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 separately.
 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

Apr Mar Feb Mar - Feb - Jan - Apr Mar Apr 2008/

2008 2 2008 r 2008 Apr 2 Mar r Feb 2008 2 2008 r 2007 2007

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 804,523 796,892 786,860 1.0 1.3 1.2 816,519 810,669 703,846 16.0

 Total Inventories....................... 328,613 326,953 323,841 0.5 1.0 0.5 330,647 326,186 315,078 4.9

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 350,823 345,503 343,064 1.5 0.7 0.1 357,976 351,423 328,286 9.0

 Total Inventories....................... 243,203 242,145 240,406 0.4 0.7 0.2 244,544 241,752 237,915 2.8

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 652,202 644,160 634,514 1.2 1.5 1.2 660,344 652,511 555,743 18.8

 Total Inventories....................... 304,141 302,863 299,827 0.4 1.0 0.4 306,075 302,169 293,213 4.4

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 804,523 796,892 786,860 1.0 1.3 1.2 816,519 810,669 703,846 16.0

 Total Inventories....................... 262,610 260,703 257,565 0.7 1.2 0.7 264,364 259,951 248,944 6.2

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 29,024 28,645 28,355 1.3 1.0 1.1 30,316 29,827 29,408 3.1

 Total Inventories....................... 32,127 31,611 30,979 1.6 2.0 0.6 32,241 31,482 31,232 3.2

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 62,722 62,398 61,377 0.5 1.7 0.3 63,919 63,289 59,098 8.2

 Total Inventories....................... 42,931 42,466 42,288 1.1 0.4 -0.1 43,417 42,855 42,461 2.3

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 97,490 94,359 92,896 3.3 1.6 -1.2 100,145 96,266 84,924 17.9

 Total Inventories....................... 53,508 53,502 52,839 0.0 1.3 0.5 53,977 53,897 50,921 6.0

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 123,106 122,957 122,125 0.1 0.7 0.5 124,699 124,883 117,272 6.3

 Total Inventories....................... 46,145 46,039 45,503 0.2 1.2 0.8 45,954 44,900 45,098 1.9

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 3,399 3,524 3,295 -3.5 6.9 4.9 3,399 3,524 3,378 0.6

 Total Inventories....................... 5,128 5,253 5,060 -2.4 3.8 1.8 5,075 4,994 4,758 6.7

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 37,244 36,840 36,819 1.1 0.1 0.2 38,010 37,455 35,853 6.0

 Total Inventories....................... 9,970 9,767 9,442 2.1 3.4 0.2 9,918 9,490 8,887 11.6

 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......................... 25,250 23,986 25,247 5.3 -5.0 3.6 25,653 24,164 24,463 4.9

 Total Inventories....................... 15,231 15,102 15,213 0.9 -0.7 1.2 15,512 15,261 14,640 6.0

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 453,700 451,389 443,796 0.5 1.7 2.0 458,543 459,246 375,560 22.1

 Total Inventories....................... 85,410 84,808 83,435 0.7 1.6 1.1 86,103 84,434 77,163 11.6

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 17,566 17,681 17,635 -0.7 0.3 -2.0 17,853 17,961 20,457 -12.7

 Total Inventories....................... 23,767 24,032 23,979 -1.1 0.2 -0.8 24,038 24,046 25,866 -7.1 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 298,129 294,712 286,620 1.2 2.8 2.3 299,819 298,369 219,918 36.3

 Total Inventories....................... 36,292 35,779 34,473 1.4 3.8 1.6 36,564 35,537 28,764 27.1

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 43,666 43,895 43,757 -0.5 0.3 -0.6 44,902 45,422 40,128 11.9

 Total Inventories....................... 13,985 13,770 13,742 1.6 0.2 0.9 14,011 13,699 12,436 12.7

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 13,231 13,158 13,064 0.6 0.7 -2.6 13,244 12,994 13,121 0.9

 Total Inventories....................... 53,261 53,425 53,584 -0.3 -0.3 -0.8 53,443 53,357 53,563 -0.2

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 602,374 595,824 587,360 1.1 1.4 1.6 610,723 606,479 512,406 19.2

 Total Inventories....................... 153,610 152,547 149,941 0.7 1.7 0.9 154,227 151,857 139,966 10.2

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 465,591 458,781 450,043 1.5 1.9 1.8 470,670 464,607 378,044 24.5

 Total Inventories....................... 134,291 133,547 131,025 0.6 1.9 0.8 134,834 132,859 122,578 10.0

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 199,037 195,963 195,254 1.6 0.4 0.9 202,966 198,772 186,611 8.8

 Total Inventories................... 106,387 106,093 104,837 0.3 1.2 0.6 106,751 105,466 101,092 5.6

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 136,783 137,043 137,317 -0.2 -0.2 0.8 140,053 141,872 134,362 4.2

 Total Inventories....................... 19,319 19,000 18,916 1.7 0.4 1.8 19,393 18,998 17,388 11.5

See footnotes at end of Table 1 
4

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 4,300 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 61 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 4,300 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 4,300 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. Any corrections will be published in the full report. 

Corrections received after the full report will be released in the next month’s advance report. Any revisions made 

later than two months will be reflected in the annual benchmark publication. 

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