FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2006, AT 8:30 A.M. EST 

Chris Savage or Patrick Kent 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1(05)-12 

CB06-13

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

December 2005 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

December increased $2.8 billion or 1.3 percent to $228.1 

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 5.4 percent 

November increase. Excluding transportation, new 

orders increased 0.9 percent. Excluding defense, new 

orders increased 0.8 percent. 

 

 Machinery, up five consecutive months, had the largest 

increase, $1.9 billion or 6.5 percent to $30.5 billion. 

This was at the highest level since the series began. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in 

December, up four of the last five months, increased 

$7.5 billion or 3.5 percent to $221.1 billion. This was at 

the highest level since the series began and followed a 

0.6 percent November increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up four of the last five 

months, had the largest increase, $3.9 billion or 6.5 

percent to $63.4 billion. The increase was led by motor 

vehicles and parts. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

December, up eight consecutive months, increased $14.8 

billion or 2.4 percent to $637.3 billion. This was at the 

highest level since the series began and followed a 3.2 

percent November increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up eight consecutive 

months, had the largest increase, $13.7 billion or 4.3 

percent to $329.7 billion. The increase was led by 

nondefense aircraft and parts. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in 

December, up five of the last six months, increased $0.1 

billion to $285.6 billion. This followed a 0.6 percent 

November increase. 

 Primary metals, up following six consecutive monthly 

decreases, had the largest increase, $0.2 billion or 0.7 

percent to $24.0 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in December 

decreased $0.5 billion or 0.6 percent to $87.2 billion. 

Shipments increased $3.2 billion or 4.6 percent to $72.9 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $14.3 billion or 4.3 

percent to $344.2 billion. Inventories decreased $0.2 

billion or 0.2 percent to $113.3 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in December 

decreased slightly or 0.2 percent to $6.8 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.2 billion or 2.8 percent to $8.1 

billion. Unfilled orders decreased $1.3 billion or 0.9 

percent to $132.1 billion. Inventories increased slightly 

or 0.2 percent to $15.6 billion. 

Revised November Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted November figures for all 

manufacturing industries are: new orders, $409.9 billion 

(revised from $407.7 billion); shipments, $398.2 billion 

(revised from $397.0 billion); unfilled orders, $622.6 

billion (revised from 621.4 billion); and total 

inventories, $467.6 billion (revised from $467.1 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 February 3, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. EST. 

The advance report on durable goods for January is scheduled for release on February 24, 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

Dec Nov Oct Nov - Oct - Sep - Dec Nov Dec Change

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

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments................................ 221,072 213,581 212,334 3.5 0.6 1.2 222,678 209,032 206,607 2,504,241 2,358,097 6.2

 New Orders4.............................. 228,137 225,314 213,767 1.3 5.4 3.1 236,582 219,932 207,986 2,507,957 2,318,643 8.2

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 157,666 154,062 153,326 2.3 0.5 1.1 159,794 150,304 150,346 1,807,082 1,670,132 8.2

 New Orders4.............................. 151,037 149,665 148,838 0.9 0.6 -0.1 153,737 144,937 144,731 1,748,916 1,616,740 8.2

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 211,460 204,268 203,080 3.5 0.6 1.4 211,691 199,560 196,551 2,392,108 2,247,811 6.4

 New Orders4

.............................. 218,466 216,724 202,629 0.8 7.0 1.6 221,917 211,242 194,825 2,405,196 2,204,981 9.1

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 151,861 146,631 145,032 3.6 1.1 2.2 155,411 143,137 140,436 1,706,902 1,580,949 8.0

 New Orders4

.............................. 166,618 165,839 153,586 0.5 8.0 4.6 177,252 161,687 148,890 1,796,760 1,622,954 10.7

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 16,479 16,301 16,150 1.1 0.9 1.8 14,621 15,505 14,181 188,383 172,968 8.9

 New Orders.............................. 17,119 17,507 17,330 -2.2 1.0 0.5 15,728 16,724 14,423 191,763 176,022 8.9

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 24,711 24,257 24,266 1.9 0.0 0.4 22,810 23,642 21,988 287,622 272,216 5.7

 New Orders.............................. 24,795 24,475 24,882 1.3 -1.6 -1.0 22,493 23,452 21,891 292,517 278,365 5.1

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 28,579 27,251 26,954 4.9 1.1 1.3 28,543 25,486 26,503 316,585 288,742 9.6

 New Orders.............................. 30,487 28,635 27,780 6.5 3.1 2.1 31,113 26,731 27,095 327,260 295,210 10.9

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments................................ 38,722 37,587 37,437 3.0 0.4 0.8 45,734 36,794 41,810 445,121 405,289 9.8

 New Orders4.............................. 30,050 30,372 29,772 -1.1 2.0 -2.9 37,755 29,100 36,668 365,313 332,968 9.7

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 9,078 8,618 8,390 5.3 2.7 5.7 11,372 7,471 9,342 100,011 80,711 23.9

 New Orders.............................. 8,801 8,669 8,021 1.5 8.1 -2.0 11,095 7,522 9,823 99,242 80,846 22.8 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 5,768 5,514 5,820 4.6 -5.3 -1.5 7,416 5,492 6,795 68,210 64,621 5.6

 New Orders.............................. 5,263 5,442 5,759 -3.3 -5.5 3.7 6,745 5,350 7,043 70,002 67,087 4.3

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments................................ 7,692 7,475 7,121 2.9 5.0 -1.8 7,937 7,650 7,075 86,142 81,459 5.7

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 9,770 9,921 10,016 -1.5 -0.9 2.7 9,932 10,062 9,367 115,077 107,129 7.4

 New Orders.............................. 9,909 10,193 10,174 -2.8 0.2 -1.8 9,813 10,209 8,756 117,966 108,589 8.6

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 63,406 59,519 59,008 6.5 0.9 1.5 62,884 58,728 56,261 697,159 687,965 1.3

 New Orders.............................. 77,100 75,649 64,929 1.9 16.5 11.2 82,845 74,995 63,255 759,041 701,903 8.1

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 42,986 40,768 42,477 5.4 -4.0 -2.0 38,112 39,816 39,638 498,703 509,738 -2.2

 New Orders.............................. 43,278 40,603 42,900 6.6 -5.4 -2.5 38,993 39,808 39,998 500,424 510,692 -2.0 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 10,970 9,612 7,602 14.1 26.4 40.1 14,171 9,733 7,206 87,502 69,651 25.6

 New Orders.............................. 24,394 26,540 11,089 -8.1 139.3 51.6 30,794 26,647 11,229 156,123 82,838 88.5

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 3,838 3,813 3,467 0.7 10.0 -8.0 4,613 3,844 3,853 44,547 45,132 -1.3

 New Orders.............................. 5,284 4,039 7,051 30.8 -42.7 142.1 7,114 3,817 3,765 40,739 36,666 11.1

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 39,405 38,745 38,503 1.7 0.6 0.8 38,154 38,815 36,497 454,294 423,788 7.2

 New Orders.............................. 38,677 38,483 38,900 0.5 -1.1 1.4 36,835 38,721 35,898 454,097 425,586 6.7

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 80,984 77,552 75,182 4.4 3.2 3.7 91,178 74,534 78,399 886,892 803,329 10.4

 New Orders.............................. 94,038 94,585 81,454 -0.6 16.1 10.1 110,429 91,573 85,393 963,847 834,245 15.5

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 72,884 69,669 67,358 4.6 3.4 4.5 82,129 66,445 69,775 792,199 707,546 12.0

 New Orders.............................. 87,192 87,724 71,771 -0.6 22.2 6.7 99,167 84,555 73,800 877,813 732,880 19.8

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 64,981 62,966 62,595 3.2 0.6 1.7 70,836 59,686 65,072 739,895 672,482 10.0

 New Orders.......................... 65,975 63,724 63,612 3.5 0.2 1.1 71,680 60,221 65,742 755,213 684,275 10.4

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 8,100 7,883 7,824 2.8 0.8 -2.7 9,049 8,089 8,624 94,693 95,783 -1.1

 New Orders.............................. 6,846 6,861 9,683 -0.2 -29.1 44.2 11,262 7,018 11,593 86,034 101,365 -15.1

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

Dec Nov Oct Nov - Oct - Sep - Dec Nov Dec 2005/

2005 2 2005 r 2005 Dec 2 Nov r Oct 2005 2 2005 r 2004 2004

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 637,335 622,578 603,370 2.4 3.2 1.4 633,424 611,583 543,566 16.5

 Total Inventories....................... 285,570 285,511 283,704 0.0 0.6 0.5 277,326 286,130 266,920 3.9

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 307,651 306,588 303,510 0.3 1.0 0.9 302,929 301,049 274,953 10.2

 Total Inventories....................... 218,595 218,408 216,703 0.1 0.8 0.2 213,103 218,471 205,776 3.6

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 492,008 477,310 457,379 3.1 4.4 1.5 488,687 470,524 389,457 25.5

 Total Inventories....................... 266,033 266,023 264,280 0.0 0.7 0.4 258,212 266,672 248,160 4.1

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 637,335 622,578 603,370 2.4 3.2 1.4 633,424 611,583 543,566 16.5

 Total Inventories....................... 220,935 220,951 219,702 0.0 0.6 0.4 215,230 221,550 208,375 3.3

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 24,525 23,885 22,679 2.7 5.3 5.5 23,866 22,759 20,486 16.5

 Total Inventories....................... 23,971 23,810 23,831 0.7 -0.1 -0.5 24,120 23,719 23,098 4.4

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 48,191 48,107 47,889 0.2 0.5 1.3 46,705 47,022 41,810 11.7

 Total Inventories....................... 36,895 36,765 36,621 0.4 0.4 0.1 36,079 36,248 35,571 1.4

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 86,315 84,407 83,023 2.3 1.7 1.0 85,275 82,705 74,600 14.3

 Total Inventories....................... 47,745 47,824 47,525 -0.2 0.6 -0.2 46,374 48,171 43,630 6.3

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 115,933 116,913 116,653 -0.8 0.2 -0.5 115,085 115,127 108,751 5.8

 Total Inventories....................... 45,950 46,265 45,502 -0.7 1.7 1.2 44,268 47,053 43,982 0.7

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 5,648 5,925 5,874 -4.7 0.9 -5.9 5,648 5,925 6,417 -12.0

 Total Inventories....................... 5,286 5,267 5,262 0.4 0.1 -3.1 4,862 5,563 4,799 1.3

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 37,701 38,206 38,278 -1.3 -0.2 -0.2 37,017 37,688 35,225 5.1

 Total Inventories....................... 10,069 10,605 10,161 -5.1 4.4 4.0 9,807 11,001 10,668 -8.1

 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......................... 18,700 18,561 18,289 0.7 1.5 0.9 18,300 18,419 15,411 18.7

 Total Inventories....................... 13,117 13,001 12,897 0.9 0.8 0.5 12,584 12,860 11,894 5.8

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 329,684 315,990 299,860 4.3 5.4 2.0 330,495 310,534 268,613 23.0

 Total Inventories....................... 66,975 67,103 67,001 -0.2 0.2 1.6 64,223 67,659 61,144 5.0

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 16,950 16,658 16,823 1.8 -1.0 2.6 16,991 16,110 15,270 11.3

 Total Inventories....................... 24,470 24,735 24,603 -1.1 0.5 2.2 23,298 24,804 22,398 4.0 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 189,692 176,268 159,340 7.6 10.6 2.2 191,207 174,584 122,586 56.0

 Total Inventories....................... 22,547 22,442 22,485 0.5 -0.2 1.1 21,547 22,910 20,598 4.6

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 52,355 50,909 50,683 2.8 0.4 7.6 51,589 49,088 55,397 -6.9

 Total Inventories....................... 11,783 11,777 11,822 0.1 -0.4 2.5 11,504 11,763 10,777 6.7

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 13,987 14,715 14,977 -4.9 -1.7 2.7 13,698 15,017 13,895 -1.4

 Total Inventories....................... 50,917 50,743 50,327 0.3 0.8 -0.1 49,678 50,420 47,601 4.4

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 476,321 463,267 446,234 2.8 3.8 1.4 475,399 456,148 398,444 19.3

 Total Inventories....................... 128,873 129,058 128,257 -0.1 0.6 0.1 125,043 130,743 120,340 3.9

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 344,240 329,932 311,877 4.3 5.8 1.4 343,578 326,540 257,964 33.2

 Total Inventories....................... 113,294 113,515 112,687 -0.2 0.7 0.0 109,608 115,216 104,741 4.6

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 174,663 173,669 172,911 0.6 0.4 0.6 172,269 171,425 156,951 9.8

 Total Inventories................... 94,976 95,437 94,477 -0.5 1.0 -0.1 92,131 96,675 88,483 4.1

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 132,081 133,335 134,357 -0.9 -0.8 1.4 131,821 129,608 140,480 -6.2

 Total Inventories....................... 15,579 15,543 15,570 0.2 -0.2 1.4 15,435 15,527 15,599 -1.1

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 4,200 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 62 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 4,200 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 4,200 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