FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2010, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (10)-05 

CB10-94

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

May 2010 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in May 

decreased $2.2 billion or 1.1 percent to $192.0 billion, 

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

followed five consecutive monthly increases including a 

3.0 percent April increase. Excluding transportation, 

new orders increased 0.9 percent. Excluding defense, 

new orders decreased 1.1 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, down three of the last four 

months, had the largest decrease, $3.5 billion or 6.9 

percent to $46.9 billion. This was led by nondefense 

aircraft and parts which decreased $3.0 billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in May, 

down following two consecutive monthly increases, 

decreased $0.8 billion or 0.4 percent to $196.0 billion. 

This followed a 1.8 percent April increase. 

 Transportation equipment, down following two 

consecutive monthly increases, had the largest decrease, 

$1.3 billion or 2.8 percent to $47.1 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

May, up four of the last five months, increased $1.4 

billion or 0.2 percent to $802.8 billion. This followed a 

0.4 percent April increase. 

 Machinery, up six of the last seven months, had the 

largest increase, $1.5 billion or 1.7 percent to $93.1 

billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in May, up 

five consecutive months, increased $2.5 billion or 0.8 

percent to $304.4 billion. This followed a 0.8 percent 

April increase. 

 Primary metals, up seven consecutive months, had the 

largest increase, $0.9 billion or 3.0 percent to $30.7 

billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in May 

decreased $1.8 billion or 2.8 percent to $63.7 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.2 billion or 0.3 percent to $62.4 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $1.3 billion or 0.3 

percent to $484.7 billion. Inventories increased $0.9 

billion or 0.7 percent to $126.2 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in May 

decreased $0.3 billion or 3.0 percent to $10.3 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.6 billion or 5.7 percent to $10.0 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $0.3 billion or 0.2 

percent to $139.8 billion. Inventories decreased $0.1 

billion or 0.7 percent to $17.9 billion. 

Revised April Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted April figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $420.2 

billion (revised from $420.1 billion); shipments, $422.8 

billion (revised from $422.3 billion); unfilled orders, 

$801.4 billion (revised from $801.2 billion); and total 

inventories, $522.3 billion (revised from $521.7 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 July 2, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The advance report on durable goods for June is scheduled for release on July 28, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. EDT. See back page for survey description. 
 2

Table 1. Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments and New Orders1

[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 

May Apr Mar Apr - Mar - Feb - May Apr May Change

2010 2 2010 r 2010 May 2 Apr r Mar 2010 2 2010 r 2009 2010 2009 10/09

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Shipments................................ 195,977 196,765 193,305 -0.4 1.8 2.1 194,351 196,211 174,192 945,597 881,676 7.2

 New Orders4

.............................. 192,008 194,175 188,530 -1.1 3.0 0.1 187,458 190,515 162,589 931,343 799,139 16.5

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 148,913 148,357 145,036 0.4 2.3 1.9 148,026 149,135 129,063 709,526 652,331 8.8

 New Orders4

.............................. 145,104 143,802 144,892 0.9 -0.8 4.9 143,932 143,534 121,682 697,777 605,691 15.2

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 183,579 183,518 179,607 0.0 2.2 2.3 182,161 183,660 160,985 880,729 819,801 7.4

 New Orders4

.............................. 179,233 181,151 175,005 -1.1 3.5 0.0 176,462 179,495 150,089 864,974 738,504 17.1

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 143,232 143,147 142,593 0.1 0.4 2.8 141,920 140,415 126,345 688,124 640,076 7.5

 New Orders.............................. 144,642 146,699 141,910 -1.4 3.4 -0.6 140,082 142,800 118,983 702,442 580,667 21.0

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 20,240 20,040 19,994 1.0 0.2 5.9 20,683 20,672 13,654 97,259 71,873 35.3

 New Orders.............................. 20,288 20,133 20,151 0.8 -0.1 3.8 20,804 20,473 13,152 99,615 67,052 48.6

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 27,820 27,491 27,101 1.2 1.4 1.6 28,059 27,414 25,390 131,913 127,027 3.8

 New Orders.............................. 27,413 27,741 27,570 -1.2 0.6 1.7 28,123 28,068 25,168 135,530 122,211 10.9

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 24,713 23,938 24,376 3.2 -1.8 4.2 25,330 24,910 22,795 119,378 117,691 1.4

 New Orders.............................. 26,229 24,840 26,285 5.6 -5.5 11.0 26,326 26,443 21,257 125,849 106,501 18.2

 Computers and electronic products4

:

 Shipments................................ 32,724 33,594 30,845 -2.6 8.9 -2.2 30,094 32,860 26,225 154,925 136,975 13.1

 New Orders.............................. 27,581 27,558 27,102 0.1 1.7 5.3 24,347 24,709 21,343 126,205 112,474 12.2

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 5,857 6,051 6,001 -3.2 0.8 9.1 5,098 5,534 4,454 26,531 24,169 9.8

 New Orders.............................. 6,151 6,000 6,374 2.5 -5.9 17.7 5,392 5,483 4,646 26,553 22,876 16.1

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 3,835 3,883 3,766 -1.2 3.1 3.5 3,486 3,201 3,162 16,971 16,159 5.0

 New Orders.............................. 3,268 3,609 3,409 -9.4 5.9 -2.9 2,663 3,267 3,313 16,340 17,192 -5.0

 Semiconductors4

:

 Shipments................................ NA NA 4,092 NA NA -18.5 NA NA 4,241 NA NA NA

 New Orders.............................. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments............................... 9,568 9,540 9,400 0.3 1.5 2.8 9,657 9,646 8,807 45,710 43,999 3.9

 New Orders.............................. 9,755 9,766 10,395 -0.1 -6.1 13.4 9,937 9,972 8,567 48,612 42,985 13.1

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 47,064 48,408 48,269 -2.8 0.3 2.6 46,325 47,076 45,129 236,071 229,345 2.9

 New Orders.............................. 46,904 50,373 43,638 -6.9 15.4 -13.2 43,526 46,981 40,907 233,566 193,448 20.7

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 29,479 29,324 28,770 0.5 1.9 4.3 29,058 29,343 24,993 145,104 131,769 10.1

 New Orders.............................. 29,446 29,231 28,649 0.7 2.0 4.5 28,881 29,307 24,681 144,589 130,922 10.4

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 6,229 6,925 6,973 -10.1 -0.7 4.5 5,962 6,224 7,532 31,587 38,625 -18.2

 New Orders.............................. 7,144 10,144 3,213 -29.6 215.7 -71.1 5,503 8,274 4,847 32,048 12,014 166.8

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 5,049 5,594 5,754 -9.7 -2.8 0.2 4,855 5,149 5,448 26,366 24,123 9.3

 New Orders.............................. 4,907 5,283 5,501 -7.1 -4.0 1.4 4,272 4,403 4,350 26,853 23,676 13.4

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 33,848 33,754 33,320 0.3 1.3 2.1 34,203 33,633 32,192 160,341 154,766 3.6

 New Orders.............................. 33,838 33,764 33,389 0.2 1.1 1.2 34,395 33,869 32,195 161,966 154,468 4.9

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 72,373 72,775 73,321 -0.6 -0.7 1.9 70,471 70,607 67,033 351,383 340,568 3.2

 New Orders.............................. 74,039 76,170 71,570 -2.8 6.4 -5.7 68,909 72,743 60,986 358,102 292,784 22.3

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 62,387 62,190 62,245 0.3 -0.1 2.5 60,638 60,432 56,235 298,524 290,295 2.8

 New Orders.............................. 63,728 65,540 60,600 -2.8 8.2 -6.7 60,005 63,636 50,476 304,300 243,078 25.2

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 59,039 58,121 58,121 1.6 0.0 2.3 57,325 56,797 51,259 280,508 265,835 5.5

 New Orders.......................... 59,607 58,384 59,980 2.1 -2.7 6.7 57,184 57,884 48,286 285,628 247,289 15.5

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 9,986 10,585 11,076 -5.7 -4.4 -1.5 9,833 10,175 10,798 52,859 50,273 5.1

 New Orders.............................. 10,311 10,630 10,970 -3.0 -3.1 0.0 8,904 9,107 10,510 53,802 49,706 8.2

NA Not Available 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 equipmen

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 Inventories1

[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 

May Apr Mar Apr - Mar - Feb - May Apr May 2010/

2010 2 2010 r 2010 May 2 Apr r Mar 2010 2 2010 r 2009 2009

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Unfilled Orders 4........................ 802,831 801,421 797,869 0.2 0.4 -0.1 807,004 808,842 833,241 -3.1

 Total Inventories....................... 304,395 301,897 299,463 0.8 0.8 0.6 307,147 303,728 316,492 -3.0

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders 4

........................ 323,179 321,609 320,022 0.5 0.5 1.2 326,552 325,591 319,179 2.3

 Total Inventories....................... 225,513 223,411 221,415 0.9 0.9 0.6 226,893 224,082 235,399 -3.6

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Order 4........................... 649,316 648,283 644,508 0.2 0.6 -0.1 651,951 652,595 666,167 -2.1

 Total Inventories....................... 281,291 278,639 275,883 1.0 1.0 0.7 283,988 280,365 293,144 -3.1

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders ........................ 802,831 801,421 797,869 0.2 0.4 -0.1 807,004 808,842 833,241 -3.1

 Total Inventories....................... 247,033 245,136 242,715 0.8 1.0 0.7 249,215 246,642 254,855 -2.2

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 18,650 18,602 18,509 0.3 0.5 0.9 18,727 18,606 15,115 23.9

 Total Inventories....................... 30,702 29,812 28,673 3.0 4.0 2.4 30,545 29,576 28,231 8.2

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 54,013 54,420 54,170 -0.7 0.5 0.9 55,691 55,627 57,297 -2.8

 Total Inventories....................... 41,266 40,930 40,617 0.8 0.8 1.4 41,392 41,106 42,364 -2.3

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 93,066 91,550 90,648 1.7 1.0 2.2 93,637 92,641 89,268 4.9

 Total Inventories....................... 49,681 49,483 49,343 0.4 0.3 0.0 50,049 49,876 54,629 -8.4

 Computers and electronic products4:

 Unfilled Orders ........................ 120,989 120,753 120,647 0.2 0.1 0.3 121,361 122,053 123,472 -1.7

 Total Inventories....................... 43,671 43,400 43,163 0.6 0.5 0.1 44,181 43,397 45,858 -3.7

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 5,393 5,099 5,150 5.8 -1.0 7.8 5,393 5,099 4,225 27.6

 Total Inventories....................... 4,603 4,494 4,486 2.4 0.2 -1.8 4,870 4,436 4,647 4.8

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 27,842 28,409 28,683 -2.0 -1.0 -1.2 28,143 28,966 29,545 -4.7

 Total Inventories....................... 7,539 7,523 7,402 0.2 1.6 -5.2 7,682 7,560 8,697 -11.7

 Semiconductors4:

 Unfilled Orders ........................ NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

 Total Inventories ...................... NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 23,696 23,509 23,283 0.8 1.0 4.5 24,003 23,723 22,275 7.8

 Total Inventories....................... 13,740 13,648 13,580 0.7 0.5 0.5 13,969 13,871 14,848 -5.9

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 479,652 479,812 477,847 0.0 0.4 -1.0 480,452 483,251 514,062 -6.5

 Total Inventories....................... 78,882 78,486 78,048 0.5 0.6 0.6 80,254 79,646 81,093 -1.0

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 14,111 14,144 14,237 -0.2 -0.7 -0.8 14,133 14,310 15,381 -8.1

 Total Inventories....................... 20,324 20,076 19,866 1.2 1.1 0.7 20,707 20,530 20,151 2.8

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 324,224 323,309 320,090 0.3 1.0 -1.2 324,026 324,485 339,407 -4.5

 Total Inventories....................... 35,921 35,561 34,914 1.0 1.9 1.6 36,778 36,108 35,777 2.8

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 47,734 47,876 48,187 -0.3 -0.6 -0.5 48,235 48,818 50,586 -4.6

 Total Inventories....................... 12,145 12,191 12,271 -0.4 -0.7 -0.9 12,208 12,191 12,124 0.7

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 12,765 12,775 12,765 -0.1 0.1 0.5 13,133 12,941 11,752 11.8

 Total Inventories....................... 46,453 46,138 46,039 0.7 0.2 0.2 46,757 46,256 49,469 -5.5

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 624,530 622,864 619,469 0.3 0.5 -0.3 627,171 628,733 657,681 -4.6

 Total Inventories....................... 144,037 143,259 142,272 0.5 0.7 -0.1 145,907 144,217 151,605 -3.8

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 484,735 483,394 480,044 0.3 0.7 -0.3 485,945 486,578 504,578 -3.7

 Total Inventories....................... 126,179 125,269 124,055 0.7 1.0 -0.2 128,057 126,122 133,623 -4.2

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 190,351 189,783 189,520 0.3 0.1 1.0 191,982 192,123 195,320 -1.7

 Total Inventories.................. 98,494 97,880 97,419 0.6 0.5 -0.6 99,643 98,274 106,262 -6.2

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 139,795 139,470 139,425 0.2 0.0 -0.1 141,226 142,155 153,103 -7.8

 Total Inventories....................... 17,858 17,990 18,217 -0.7 -1.2 0.0 17,850 18,095 17,982 -0.7

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 65 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 4,300 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.