FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2011, AT 8:30 A.M. EST 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (11)-01 

CB11-38

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

January 2011 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in January 

increased $5.3 billion or 2.7 percent to $200.5 billion, 

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

followed three consecutive monthly decreases including 

a 0.4 percent December decrease. Excluding 

transportation, new orders decreased 3.6 percent. 

Excluding defense, new orders increased 1.9 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, also up following three 

consecutive monthly decreases, had the largest increase, 

$10.9 billion or 27.6 percent to $50.5 billion. This was 

led by to nondefense aircraft and parts, which increased 

$7.3 billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in January, 

up four of the last five months, increased $0.6 billion or 

0.3 percent to $202.9 billion. This followed a 2.3 percent 

December increase. 

 Primary metals, up six consecutive months, had the 

largest increase, $0.9 billion or 4.0 percent to $23.0 

billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

January, up nine of the last ten months, increased $4.3 

billion or 0.5 percent to $829.4 billion. This followed a 

0.2 percent December decrease. 

 Transportation equipment, up following two 

consecutive monthly decreases, had the largest increase, 

$2.3 billion or 0.5 percent to $475.7 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in January, 

up thirteen consecutive months, increased $2.2 billion or 

0.7 percent to $324.8 billion. This followed a 0.8 

percent December increase. 

 Transportation equipment, also up thirteen consecutive 

months, had the largest increase, $0.6 billion or 0.7 

percent to $86.9 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in January 

increased $2.9 billion or 4.6 percent to $66.3 billion. 

Shipments decreased $1.9 billion or 2.9 percent to $65.7 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $0.7 billion or 0.1 

percent to $501.1 billion. Inventories increased $1.3 

billion or 0.9 percent to $138.4 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in January 

increased $2.6 billion or 31.5 percent to $10.9 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.7 billion or 8.1 percent to $8.2 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $2.7 billion or 1.9 

percent to $141.4 billion. Inventories increased slightly 

or 0.1 percent to $17.5 billion. 

Revised December Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted December figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $430.4 

billion (revised from $426.8 billion); shipments, $437.5 

billion (revised from $436.0 billion); unfilled orders, 

$825.1 billion (revised from $822.8 billion); and total 

inventories, $551.1 billion (revised from $550.4 billion). 

Figures in text are adjusted for seasonality but not for inflation. 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 March 4, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. EST. The advance report on durable goods for February is scheduled for release on March 24, 2011, at 8:30 a.m. EDT. See back page for 

survey description and benchmark notice. 
 2

Table 1. Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments and New Orders 1

[Estimates are shown in millions of dollars and are based on data from the Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders Survey.]

Seasonally Adjusted Not Seasonally Adjusted 

Monthly Percent Change Monthly Year to Date

Item 

Jan Dec Nov Dec - Nov - Oct - Jan Dec Jan Change

2011 2 2010 r 2010 Jan 2 Dec r Nov 2011 2 2010 r 2010 2011 2010 11/10

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Shipments................................ 202,873 202,243 197,633 0.3 2.3 0.5 182,369 202,536 172,452 182,369 172,452 5.8

 New Orders4

.............................. 200,547 195,206 196,053 2.7 -0.4 -0.1 184,947 207,779 170,890 184,947 170,890 8.2

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 154,700 153,974 150,907 0.5 2.0 1.6 140,400 151,557 128,088 140,400 128,088 9.6

 New Orders4

.............................. 150,092 155,678 151,196 -3.6 3.0 4.6 139,037 153,992 123,803 139,037 123,803 12.3

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 192,212 190,980 186,268 0.6 2.5 0.5 173,732 190,123 160,466 173,732 160,466 8.3

 New Orders4

.............................. 187,452 183,908 184,347 1.9 -0.2 -1.0 171,713 191,025 156,353 171,713 156,353 9.8

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 148,177 148,537 144,541 -0.2 2.8 1.1 131,881 150,013 122,838 131,881 122,838 7.4

 New Orders.............................. 152,526 147,223 148,860 3.6 -1.1 0.2 142,601 159,656 129,311 142,601 129,311 10.3

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 22,960 22,068 21,020 4.0 5.0 4.6 21,535 18,846 17,124 21,535 17,124 25.8

 New Orders.............................. 23,172 22,915 23,162 1.1 -1.1 13.9 22,928 19,902 18,412 22,928 18,412 24.5

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 28,049 28,007 27,577 0.1 1.6 1.1 25,161 25,829 23,580 25,161 23,580 6.7

 New Orders.............................. 28,144 27,934 27,770 0.8 0.6 3.0 25,788 25,769 23,930 25,788 23,930 7.8

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 25,746 27,325 25,418 -5.8 7.5 2.6 23,430 28,296 20,194 23,430 20,194 16.0

 New Orders.............................. 27,752 31,911 27,362 -13.0 16.6 0.4 27,317 31,517 21,347 27,317 21,347 28.0

 Computers and electronic products4

:

 Shipments................................ 33,853 33,176 33,817 2.0 -1.9 0.2 31,480 36,615 30,808 31,480 30,808 2.2

 New Orders.............................. 26,760 28,706 28,616 -6.8 0.3 6.7 23,202 35,224 22,424 23,202 22,424 3.5

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 6,042 6,175 6,461 -2.2 -4.4 -0.1 5,238 7,954 4,899 5,238 4,899 6.9

 New Orders.............................. 5,521 6,109 6,783 -9.6 -9.9 7.3 4,717 7,888 4,393 4,717 4,393 7.4

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 3,210 3,400 3,492 -5.6 -2.6 4.7 2,438 4,105 2,859 2,438 2,859 -14.7

 New Orders.............................. 3,414 3,988 3,555 -14.4 12.2 13.3 2,799 5,206 3,016 2,799 3,016 -7.2

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 10,150 10,033 9,857 1.2 1.8 1.7 8,950 9,857 7,945 8,950 7,945 12.6

 New Orders.............................. 10,298 10,829 10,760 -4.9 0.6 8.7 9,915 10,041 8,912 9,915 8,912 11.3

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 48,173 48,269 46,726 -0.2 3.3 -2.8 41,969 50,979 44,364 41,969 44,364 -5.4

 New Orders.............................. 50,455 39,528 44,857 27.6 -11.9 -13.3 45,910 53,787 47,087 45,910 47,087 -2.5

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 30,720 30,306 29,447 1.4 2.9 -2.1 28,494 29,139 28,595 28,494 28,595 -0.4

 New Orders.............................. 30,517 30,384 29,611 0.4 2.6 -2.4 28,466 29,749 28,747 28,466 28,747 -1.0

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 7,056 7,506 6,659 -6.0 12.7 -7.3 5,194 9,940 4,950 5,194 4,950 4.9

 New Orders.............................. 7,400 148 5,019 4,900.0 -97.1 -59.6 4,981 10,576 4,904 4,981 4,904 1.6

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 4,517 4,687 4,870 -3.6 -3.8 1.5 3,483 5,576 4,776 3,483 4,776 -27.1

 New Orders.............................. 5,408 4,486 5,043 20.6 -11.0 6.4 5,548 6,542 6,598 5,548 6,598 -15.9

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 33,942 33,365 33,218 1.7 0.4 0.8 29,844 32,114 28,437 29,844 28,437 4.9

 New Orders.............................. 33,966 33,383 33,526 1.7 -0.4 0.9 29,887 31,539 28,778 29,887 28,778 3.9

 Capital goods3

:

 Shipments................................ 73,894 76,552 74,018 -3.5 3.4 0.2 64,561 84,511 62,119 64,561 62,119 3.9

 New Orders.............................. 77,233 71,714 74,365 7.7 -3.6 -5.8 70,892 90,213 64,476 70,892 64,476 10.0

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 65,655 67,589 65,280 -2.9 3.5 0.5 57,787 75,002 52,266 57,787 52,266 10.6

 New Orders.............................. 66,318 63,411 65,647 4.6 -3.4 -7.9 59,770 77,375 53,169 59,770 53,169 12.4

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 61,829 63,113 61,576 -2.0 2.5 1.5 55,505 68,475 49,736 55,505 49,736 11.6

 New Orders.......................... 62,323 66,967 64,221 -6.9 4.3 3.3 58,184 71,435 50,639 58,184 50,639 14.9

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 8,239 8,963 8,738 -8.1 2.6 -1.5 6,774 9,509 9,853 6,774 9,853 -31.2

 New Orders.............................. 10,915 8,303 8,718 31.5 -4.8 14.2 11,122 12,838 11,307 11,122 11,307 -1.6

r

 Revised data due to late receipts and concurrent seasonal adjustment.

1

 Estimates of shipments and new orders are for the duration of the period, while estimates of unfilled orders and total inventories are for the end of the period. Not seasonally adjusted estimates of 

shipments and new orders include adjusted data for non-calendar reporters. Seasonally adjusted estimates include concurrent adjustments for holiday and trading-day differences, where appropriate, 

as well as seasonal variation, based on the results of the latest annual review of the model parameters. Estimates are not adjusted for price changes.

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. For further details on survey design, 

methodology, and data limitations, see http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/m3.

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 equipment.

4 Estimates of shipments for the semiconductor industry are no longer shown separately. Estimates and percent changes of shipments and inventories for the semiconductor industry are included 

 in computers and electronic products, and all other applicable aggregate totals. Estimates and percent changes for new orders and unfilled orders exclude semiconductor industry data. 
 3

Table 2. Durable Goods Manufacturers' Unfilled Orders and Total Inventories 1

[Estimates are shown in millions of dollars and are based on data from the Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders Survey.]

Seasonally Adjusted Not Seasonally Adjusted 

Monthly Percent Change Monthly Percent

Item 

Jan Dec Nov Dec - Nov - Oct - Jan Dec Jan 2011/

2011 2 2010 r 2010 Jan 2 Dec r Nov 2011 2 2010 r 2010 2010

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Unfilled Orders4......................... 829,418 825,069 826,383 0.5 -0.2 0.5 835,187 824,467 799,159 4.5

 Total Inventories....................... 324,848 322,681 319,982 0.7 0.8 0.9 325,307 314,777 295,728 10.0

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4......................... 353,673 351,606 344,179 0.6 2.2 1.8 352,831 346,052 313,479 12.6

 Total Inventories....................... 237,907 236,360 235,296 0.7 0.5 0.5 238,593 231,468 219,785 8.6

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

........................... 673,118 671,203 672,552 0.3 -0.2 0.6 676,943 670,820 643,056 5.3

 Total Inventories....................... 301,948 299,786 296,902 0.7 1.0 0.8 302,356 292,018 272,218 11.1

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 829,418 825,069 826,383 0.5 -0.2 0.5 835,187 824,467 799,159 4.5

 Total Inventories....................... 264,814 262,989 260,702 0.7 0.9 0.9 265,040 256,510 239,542 10.6

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 22,261 22,049 21,202 1.0 4.0 11.2 22,334 20,941 17,659 26.5

 Total Inventories....................... 32,501 31,963 31,511 1.7 1.4 1.6 32,372 31,566 27,560 17.5

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 54,009 53,914 53,987 0.2 -0.1 0.4 53,212 52,585 52,424 1.5

 Total Inventories....................... 42,863 42,564 42,383 0.7 0.4 0.7 43,000 41,808 39,889 7.8

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 112,912 110,906 106,320 1.8 4.3 1.9 113,103 109,216 88,319 28.1

 Total Inventories....................... 53,266 52,948 52,966 0.6 0.0 0.9 53,629 51,630 49,846 7.6

 Computers and electronic products4:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 124,130 124,548 123,295 -0.3 1.0 0.6 124,561 124,697 121,160 2.8

 Total Inventories....................... 46,314 46,105 46,006 0.5 0.2 -0.2 46,492 45,106 43,070 7.9

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 5,058 5,579 5,645 -9.3 -1.2 6.0 5,058 5,579 4,865 4.0

 Total Inventories....................... 4,546 4,458 4,567 2.0 -2.4 -3.3 4,380 4,195 4,331 1.1

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 29,094 28,890 28,302 0.7 2.1 0.2 29,140 28,779 28,931 0.7

 Total Inventories....................... 8,113 8,262 8,380 -1.8 -1.4 0.5 8,278 8,263 7,816 5.9

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 27,384 27,236 26,440 0.5 3.0 3.5 27,181 26,216 22,068 23.2

 Total Inventories....................... 14,725 14,795 14,885 -0.5 -0.6 -0.2 14,751 14,339 13,554 8.8

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 475,745 473,463 482,204 0.5 -1.8 -0.4 482,356 478,415 485,680 -0.7

 Total Inventories....................... 86,941 86,321 84,686 0.7 1.9 1.8 86,714 83,309 75,943 14.2

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 14,029 14,232 14,154 -1.4 0.6 1.2 14,441 14,469 14,800 -2.4

 Total Inventories....................... 21,830 21,721 21,750 0.5 -0.1 1.7 22,125 21,037 18,639 18.7

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 324,912 324,568 331,926 0.1 -2.2 -0.5 329,269 329,482 323,519 1.8

 Total Inventories....................... 42,530 41,971 40,213 1.3 4.4 1.8 42,004 40,042 33,539 25.2

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 49,563 48,672 48,873 1.8 -0.4 0.4 50,420 48,355 49,570 1.7

 Total Inventories....................... 11,997 12,007 12,157 -0.1 -1.2 2.5 11,929 11,897 12,142 -1.8

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 12,977 12,953 12,935 0.2 0.1 2.4 12,440 12,397 11,849 5.0

 Total Inventories....................... 48,238 47,985 47,545 0.5 0.9 0.2 48,349 47,019 45,866 5.4

 Capital goods3:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 642,442 639,103 643,941 0.5 -0.8 0.1 648,263 641,932 622,809 4.1

 Total Inventories....................... 155,893 154,600 153,376 0.8 0.8 0.9 155,646 150,410 141,560 10.0

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 501,078 500,415 504,593 0.1 -0.8 0.1 505,239 503,256 481,072 5.0

 Total Inventories....................... 138,403 137,133 135,683 0.9 1.1 0.8 138,037 132,969 123,380 11.9

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 208,462 207,968 204,114 0.2 1.9 1.3 208,399 205,720 187,765 11.0

 Total Inventories................... 104,276 103,790 103,770 0.5 0.0 0.4 104,398 101,283 97,963 6.6

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 141,364 138,688 139,348 1.9 -0.5 0.0 143,024 138,676 141,737 0.9

 Total Inventories....................... 17,490 17,467 17,693 0.1 -1.3 2.0 17,609 17,441 18,180 -3.1

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-inprocess, 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-to-month changes of the total 

operations of those companies in the monthly survey effectively represent the month-to-month 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 4,300 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-to-month 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.

 

Benchmark Notice

Revised historical data for Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders will be issued on 

May 13, 2011. These revisions reflect:

o benchmarking the shipments and inventory data to the 2009 Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) 

data;

o incorporating the unfilled orders to shipments ratios obtained from the 2008/2009 Manufacturers’ 

Unfilled Orders Survey by applying these ratios to the respective ASM shipments data;

o adjusting new orders to be consistent with the benchmarked shipments and unfilled orders data;

o correcting monthly data for late receipts, reclassifications of reported data, and revisions to previously 

reported data; and

o updating the seasonal adjustment factors for all series.

An accompanying press release will include the revised 2011 January through March data. Please call 

Heather Dudash on (301)763-4832 with any questions.