FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2009, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (09)-02 

CB09-48

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

February 2009 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

February increased $5.5 billion or 3.4 percent to $165.6 

billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This 

increase follows six consecutive monthly decreases, 

including a 7.3 percent January decrease. Excluding 

transportation, new orders increased 3.9 percent. 

Excluding defense, new orders increased 1.7 percent. 

 

 Machinery, up following four consecutive monthly 

decreases, had the largest increase, $2.9 billion or 13.5 

percent to $24.4 billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in February, 

down seven consecutive months, decreased $0.9 billion 

or 0.5 percent to $179.1 billion. This followed a 5.2 

percent January decrease. 

 Computers and electronic products, down three of the 

last four months, had the largest decrease, $0.6 billion or 

2.0 percent to $27.9 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

February, down five consecutive months, decreased 

$10.5 billion or 1.3 percent to $773.7 billion. This 

followed a 2.0 percent January decrease. 

 Transportation equipment, down five consecutive 

months, had the largest decrease, $5.9 billion or 1.3 

percent to $450.5 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in 

February, down two consecutive months, decreased $2.9 

billion or 0.9 percent to $336.8 billion. This followed a 

1.1 percent January decrease. 

 Primary metals, down five consecutive months, had the 

largest decrease, $0.8 billion or 2.6 percent to $30.5 

billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in February 

increased $3.6 billion or 7.4 percent to $52.8 billion. 

Shipments decreased $1.5 billion or 2.5 percent to $59.3 

billion. Unfilled orders decreased $6.6 billion or 1.4 

percent to $448.8 billion. Inventories increased $0.1 

billion or 0.1 percent to $145.9 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in February 

increased $2.6 billion or 35.3 percent to $10.0 billion. 

Shipments increased $1.4 billion or 16.4 percent to 

$10.1 billion. Unfilled orders decreased $0.2 billion or 

0.1 percent to $143.4 billion. Inventories decreased $0.3 

billion or 1.3 percent to $20.0 billion. 

Revised January Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted January figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $346.9 

billion (revised from $351.9 billion); shipments, $366.9 

billion (revised from $369.4 billion); unfilled orders, 

$784.3 billion (revised from $786.8 billion); and total 

inventories, $536.5 billion (revised from $537.6 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 April 2, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The 

advance report on durable goods for March is scheduled for release on April 24, 2009, 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

Feb Jan Dec Jan - Dec- Nov - Feb Jan Feb Change

2009 2 2009 r 2008 Feb 2 Jan r Dec 2009 2 2009 r 2008 2009 2008 09/08

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments................................ 179,124 179,991 189,910 -0.5 -5.2 -1.5 164,825 158,761 207,105 323,586 402,169 -19.5

 New Orders4

.............................. 165,555 160,059 172,741 3.4 -7.3 -4.6 151,344 146,598 212,882 297,942 416,349 -28.4

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 134,938 135,458 143,604 -0.4 -5.7 -2.2 122,513 121,275 150,501 243,788 295,279 -17.4

 New Orders4

.............................. 127,293 122,556 130,176 3.9 -5.9 -5.7 117,646 111,870 149,397 229,516 295,607 -22.4

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 166,171 168,542 178,553 -1.4 -5.6 -1.3 152,371 149,314 196,245 301,685 382,566 -21.1

 New Orders4

.............................. 153,301 150,673 157,003 1.7 -4.0 -7.6 139,927 136,742 200,750 276,669 392,911 -29.6

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 129,749 129,729 136,840 0.0 -5.2 -1.3 119,408 113,487 146,327 232,895 282,733 -17.6

 New Orders4

.............................. 119,205 113,638 124,321 4.9 -8.6 -5.0 108,549 106,070 156,982 214,619 308,454 -30.4

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 14,448 14,653 16,238 -1.4 -9.8 -9.7 13,252 13,619 21,228 26,871 41,778 -35.7

 New Orders.............................. 13,109 13,186 14,095 -0.6 -6.4 -11.7 12,162 12,769 22,041 24,931 43,766 -43.0

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 25,216 25,331 26,010 -0.5 -2.6 -3.6 23,024 23,029 26,066 46,053 51,337 -10.3

 New Orders.............................. 23,852 23,489 24,800 1.5 -5.3 -4.8 22,174 21,643 26,843 43,817 52,665 -16.8

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 25,146 25,202 28,583 -0.2 -11.8 1.0 23,107 22,636 28,313 45,743 54,205 -15.6

 New Orders.............................. 24,441 21,531 23,928 13.5 -10.0 -9.5 22,620 20,734 27,646 43,354 58,595 -26.0

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments................................ 27,931 28,497 29,897 -2.0 -4.7 0.7 24,695 25,303 29,690 49,998 59,687 -16.2

 New Orders4

.............................. 24,254 22,958 24,834 5.6 -7.6 -6.8 22,259 19,782 26,384 42,041 50,049 -16.0

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 4,466 4,458 4,545 0.2 -1.9 7.5 3,756 3,771 4,709 7,527 9,195 -18.1

 New Orders.............................. 4,463 4,054 4,498 10.1 -9.9 -5.8 3,753 3,367 4,863 7,120 8,773 -18.8 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 4,843 5,000 5,262 -3.1 -5.0 -10.3 4,125 3,817 5,152 7,942 9,587 -17.2

 New Orders.............................. 4,489 4,770 5,255 -5.9 -9.2 -5.1 4,186 3,866 5,797 8,052 10,327 -22.0

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments................................ 3,025 3,841 4,650 -21.2 -17.4 18.3 2,622 4,746 4,878 7,368 11,541 -36.2

 New Orders4

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 8,788 8,742 9,492 0.5 -7.9 1.0 7,996 7,753 10,112 15,749 19,704 -20.1

 New Orders.............................. 8,568 8,429 9,251 1.6 -8.9 6.8 8,274 8,083 11,664 16,357 22,390 -26.9

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 44,186 44,533 46,306 -0.8 -3.8 0.8 42,312 37,486 56,604 79,798 106,890 -25.3

 New Orders.............................. 38,262 37,503 42,565 2.0 -11.9 -1.2 33,698 34,728 63,485 68,426 120,742 -43.3

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 24,726 25,126 27,315 -1.6 -8.0 -6.0 24,207 22,829 38,486 47,036 73,531 -36.0

 New Orders.............................. 24,581 24,722 26,752 -0.6 -7.6 -6.4 24,099 22,799 38,243 46,898 73,273 -36.0 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 7,790 9,378 8,083 -16.9 16.0 31.8 7,105 6,511 7,832 13,616 14,989 -9.2

 New Orders.............................. 3,890 5,473 2,058 -28.9 165.9 -57.5 1,059 4,041 12,709 5,100 24,969 -79.6

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 5,133 4,507 4,853 13.9 -7.1 6.9 4,732 3,598 4,215 8,330 6,998 19.0

 New Orders.............................. 5,095 3,848 5,763 32.4 -33.2 15.7 4,655 3,995 3,981 8,650 8,158 6.0

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 33,409 33,033 33,384 1.1 -1.1 -3.2 30,439 28,935 35,092 59,374 68,568 -13.4

 New Orders.............................. 33,069 32,963 33,268 0.3 -0.9 -2.7 30,157 28,859 34,819 59,016 68,142 -13.4

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 69,452 69,566 73,234 -0.2 -5.0 1.4 63,828 59,666 71,903 123,494 139,181 -11.3

 New Orders.............................. 62,736 56,519 66,356 11.0 -14.8 -3.3 55,833 52,533 81,579 108,366 160,067 -32.3

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 59,323 60,863 64,825 -2.5 -6.1 2.6 53,862 52,394 63,411 106,256 123,429 -13.9

 New Orders.............................. 52,772 49,154 53,964 7.4 -8.9 -10.3 46,419 44,699 72,013 91,118 141,171 -35.5

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 55,417 55,108 60,474 0.6 -8.9 0.1 50,367 48,977 59,177 99,344 115,571 -14.0

 New Orders.......................... 52,465 49,215 55,499 6.6 -11.3 -5.9 49,186 45,994 63,745 95,180 124,828 -23.8

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 10,129 8,703 8,409 16.4 3.5 -7.5 9,966 7,272 8,492 17,238 15,752 9.4

 New Orders.............................. 9,964 7,365 12,392 35.3 -40.6 45.6 9,414 7,834 9,566 17,248 18,896 -8.7

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 equipment.

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

Feb Jan Dec Jan - Dec - Nov - Feb Jan Feb 2009/

2009 2 2009 r 2008 Feb 2 Jan r Dec 2009 2 2009 r 2008 2008

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 773,725 784,269 800,360 -1.3 -2.0 -1.5 780,477 791,336 797,537 -2.1

 Total Inventories....................... 336,846 339,745 343,468 -0.9 -1.1 0.4 338,866 339,145 326,654 3.7

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 323,184 327,804 336,865 -1.4 -2.7 -2.5 324,014 326,259 346,890 -6.6

 Total Inventories....................... 242,204 245,087 247,962 -1.2 -1.2 -0.6 243,949 245,092 242,952 0.4

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 614,410 624,255 638,283 -1.6 -2.2 -2.6 618,549 628,371 642,393 -3.7

 Total Inventories....................... 311,017 313,620 318,185 -0.8 -1.4 0.4 313,040 313,062 302,668 3.4

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 773,725 784,269 800,360 -1.3 -2.0 -1.5 780,477 791,336 797,537 -2.1

 Total Inventories....................... 271,661 273,877 276,208 -0.8 -0.8 0.6 272,752 273,148 259,386 5.2

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 16,245 17,584 19,051 -7.6 -7.7 -10.1 16,387 17,477 29,251 -44.0

 Total Inventories....................... 30,486 31,292 32,151 -2.6 -2.7 -4.5 30,009 31,022 30,935 -3.0

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 55,312 56,676 58,518 -2.4 -3.1 -2.0 54,499 55,349 60,747 -10.3

 Total Inventories....................... 42,742 43,467 44,251 -1.7 -1.8 -0.4 43,077 43,633 42,922 0.4

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 95,183 95,888 99,559 -0.7 -3.7 -4.5 95,522 96,009 94,777 0.8

 Total Inventories....................... 54,716 55,340 55,257 -1.1 0.2 0.1 55,632 55,473 53,730 3.5

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 122,681 123,333 125,031 -0.5 -1.4 -0.3 123,990 123,804 123,670 0.3

 Total Inventories....................... 47,326 47,244 47,891 0.2 -1.4 0.9 47,671 47,124 45,859 4.0

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 3,683 3,686 4,090 -0.1 -9.9 -1.1 3,683 3,686 3,295 11.8

 Total Inventories....................... 4,728 4,702 5,143 0.6 -8.6 4.2 4,764 4,517 5,111 -6.8

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 36,711 37,065 37,295 -1.0 -0.6 0.0 36,864 36,803 37,157 -0.8

 Total Inventories....................... 10,342 10,267 10,259 0.7 0.1 3.5 10,535 10,417 9,596 9.8

 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......................... 21,920 22,140 22,453 -1.0 -1.4 -1.1 22,207 21,929 25,750 -13.8

 Total Inventories....................... 13,936 14,246 14,739 -2.2 -3.3 -1.3 14,213 14,279 15,560 -8.7

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 450,541 456,465 463,495 -1.3 -1.5 -0.8 456,463 465,077 450,647 1.3

 Total Inventories....................... 94,642 94,658 95,506 0.0 -0.9 3.0 94,917 94,053 83,702 13.4

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 15,154 15,299 15,703 -0.9 -2.6 -3.5 15,511 15,619 18,307 -15.3

 Total Inventories....................... 20,686 20,997 21,739 -1.5 -3.4 -2.8 20,731 20,933 24,172 -14.2 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 296,125 300,025 303,930 -1.3 -1.3 -1.9 299,594 305,640 290,595 3.1

 Total Inventories....................... 47,140 46,662 47,660 1.0 -2.1 7.6 47,273 46,184 34,494 37.0

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 47,725 47,763 48,422 -0.1 -1.4 1.9 48,547 48,624 44,462 9.2

 Total Inventories....................... 14,988 15,394 14,654 -2.6 5.0 -0.4 14,916 15,329 13,681 9.0

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 11,843 12,183 12,253 -2.8 -0.6 -0.9 11,409 11,691 12,695 -10.1

 Total Inventories....................... 52,998 53,498 53,673 -0.9 -0.3 -0.4 53,347 53,561 53,946 -1.1

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 592,234 598,950 611,997 -1.1 -2.1 -1.1 598,807 606,802 596,343 0.4

 Total Inventories....................... 165,823 165,977 166,830 -0.1 -0.5 2.1 167,159 165,314 151,231 10.5

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 448,832 455,383 467,092 -1.4 -2.5 -2.3 453,132 460,575 456,557 -0.8

 Total Inventories....................... 145,855 145,747 147,242 0.1 -1.0 2.4 147,122 145,061 132,282 11.2

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 187,782 190,734 196,627 -1.5 -3.0 -2.5 189,018 190,199 198,041 -4.6

 Total Inventories................... 108,336 108,773 109,559 -0.4 -0.7 0.5 109,500 108,504 106,080 3.2

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 143,402 143,567 144,905 -0.1 -0.9 2.8 145,675 146,227 139,786 4.2

 Total Inventories....................... 19,968 20,230 19,588 -1.3 3.3 0.1 20,037 20,253 18,949 5.7

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.