FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2007, AT 8:30 A.M. EST 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (07)-11 

CB07-182

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

November 2007 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

November increased $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent to 

$214.7 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced 

today. This followed three consecutive monthly 

decreases including a 0.4 percent October decrease. 

Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.7 

percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 1.2 

percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up two consecutive months, 

had the largest increase, $1.2 billion or 1.9 percent to 

$63.6 billion. This was due to nondefense aircraft and 

parts, which increased $3.1 billion. 

 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in 

November, down three of the last four months, 

decreased slightly to $213.3 billion. This followed a 0.5 

percent October increase. 

 Electrical equipment, appliances, and components, 

down three of the last four months, had the largest 

decrease, $0.1 billion or 1.1 percent to $10.8 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

November, up thirty of the last thirty-one months, 

increased $7.9 billion or 1.0 percent to $787.5 billion. 

This was at the highest level since the series was first 

stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.0 

percent October increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up twenty-two consecutive 

months, had the largest increase, $6.8 billion or 1.5 

percent to $458.6 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in 

November, up four of the last five months, increased 

$2.4 billion or 0.8 percent to $317.2 billion. This was 

also at the highest level since the series was first stated 

on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.4 percent 

October increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up ten of the last eleven 

months, had the largest increase, $1.4 billion or 1.7 

percent to $79.7 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in November 

increased $2.8 billion or 3.8 percent to $75.9 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.2 billion or 0.4 percent to $67.4 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $8.4 billion or 1.9 

percent to $448.3 billion. Inventories increased $1.6 

billion or 1.3 percent to $125.6 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in November 

decreased $2.1 billion or 24.3 percent to $6.5 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.3 billion or 4.3 percent to $8.4 

billion. Unfilled orders decreased $1.9 billion or 1.3 

percent to $144.9 billion. Inventories increased $0.2 

billion or 1.1 percent to $17.7 billion. 

Revised October Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted October figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $423.2 

billion (revised from $423.5 billion); shipments, $421.9 

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

$779.6 billion (revised from $779.5 billion); and total 

inventories, $520.2 billion (revised from $520.0 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 January 3, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. EST. The 

advance report on durable goods for December is scheduled for release on January 29, 2008, at 8:30 a.m. EST. See back page for

survey description and 2008 release schedule. 
 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

Nov Oct Sep Oct - Sep - Aug - Nov Oct Nov Change

2007 2 2007 r 2007 Nov 2 Oct r Sep 2007 2 2007 r 2006 2007 2006 07/06

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments............................... 213,275 213,300 212,135 0.0 0.5 -1.8 208,651 220,038 205,249 2,339,612 2,327,193 0.5

 New Orders 4

........................... 214,669 214,510 215,348 0.1 -0.4 -1.4 209,866 219,610 210,492 2,361,403 2,346,811 0.6

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments............................... 156,467 156,424 155,440 0.0 0.6 -0.5 151,749 160,144 148,140 1,706,421 1,694,830 0.7

 New Orders 4

........................... 151,025 152,050 153,439 -0.7 -0.9 1.0 145,122 156,005 142,884 1,658,226 1,654,428 0.2

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments............................... 203,220 203,473 202,500 -0.1 0.5 -1.6 198,327 210,517 194,943 2,232,949 2,224,447 0.4

 New Orders 4

........................... 206,602 204,183 205,216 1.2 -0.5 0.3 201,680 208,759 197,277 2,258,332 2,235,771 1.0

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments............................... 149,207 149,262 149,199 0.0 0.0 -1.0 144,926 151,868 142,158 1,632,406 1,602,384 1.9

 New Orders 4

........................... 157,110 157,026 157,951 0.1 -0.6 -0.9 153,185 158,380 154,346 1,725,309 1,696,453 1.7

 Primary metals:

 Shipments............................... 20,356 20,429 20,078 -0.4 1.7 0.0 19,138 21,249 18,226 223,997 215,581 3.9

 New Orders.............................. 20,778 20,645 19,888 0.6 3.8 0.4 19,740 20,921 18,076 223,167 215,607 3.5

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments............................... 26,147 26,133 25,967 0.1 0.6 -2.0 24,962 27,349 24,142 288,784 281,883 2.4

 New Orders.............................. 26,549 26,710 26,071 -0.6 2.5 -2.3 24,714 27,444 23,524 292,465 286,734 2.0

 Machinery:

 Shipments............................... 28,230 27,972 28,581 0.9 -2.1 2.2 26,104 28,257 25,359 303,750 300,372 1.1

 New Orders.............................. 28,741 29,323 30,186 -2.0 -2.9 4.1 27,066 30,368 26,003 314,153 313,434 0.2

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments............................... 33,892 33,733 32,940 0.5 2.4 -0.6 34,207 33,154 33,214 359,053 356,938 0.6

 New Orders 4

........................... 26,868 27,208 29,551 -1.2 -7.9 5.5 26,138 26,808 27,679 293,502 293,449 0.0

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments............................... 5,749 5,673 5,888 1.3 -3.7 10.4 5,407 5,687 5,173 58,440 59,515 -1.8

 New Orders.............................. 5,597 5,098 5,984 9.8 -14.8 7.6 5,255 5,112 5,259 58,276 59,272 -1.7 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments............................... 5,430 5,222 5,643 4.0 -7.5 -1.2 5,438 4,794 5,437 58,783 59,605 -1.4

 New Orders.............................. 4,683 4,808 6,176 -2.6 -22.2 3.2 4,255 4,771 5,119 59,971 61,774 -2.9

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments............................... 6,509 6,554 5,539 -0.7 18.3 -11.6 7,044 6,940 6,945 71,112 74,451 -4.5

 New Orders 4

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments............................... 10,786 10,910 10,804 -1.1 1.0 -1.1 10,527 11,165 10,065 119,252 112,421 6.1

 New Orders.............................. 10,892 10,711 10,487 1.7 2.1 -3.3 10,485 11,107 10,309 121,076 116,910 3.6

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments............................... 56,808 56,876 56,668 -0.1 0.4 -5.0 56,902 59,894 57,109 633,191 632,363 0.1

 New Orders.............................. 63,644 62,460 61,881 1.9 0.9 -6.9 64,744 63,605 67,608 703,177 692,383 1.6

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments............................... 37,949 37,709 38,331 0.6 -1.6 -4.7 37,360 41,878 38,478 433,809 448,637 -3.3

 New Orders.............................. 38,060 37,662 37,987 1.1 -0.9 -3.4 37,758 41,406 38,737 431,437 450,566 -4.2 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 9,146 9,380 8,816 -2.5 6.4 -9.2 9,590 8,447 8,441 95,479 80,708 18.3

 New Orders.............................. 18,239 15,090 15,042 20.9 0.3 15.7 19,437 11,924 13,829 168,817 128,730 31.1

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 3,472 3,556 3,277 -2.4 8.5 -5.0 3,632 3,371 3,798 37,030 35,676 3.8

 New Orders.............................. 2,735 3,421 4,082 -20.1 -16.2 -28.9 2,986 3,350 5,322 33,649 34,210 -1.6

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments............................... 37,056 37,247 37,068 -0.5 0.5 -1.7 36,811 38,970 37,134 411,585 427,635 -3.8

 New Orders.............................. 37,197 37,453 37,254 -0.7 0.5 -0.7 36,979 39,357 37,293 413,863 428,294 -3.4

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments............................... 75,807 75,711 76,133 0.1 -0.6 0.3 73,560 74,679 72,008 810,287 802,205 1.0

 New Orders.............................. 82,309 81,566 82,914 0.9 -1.6 0.7 81,323 80,864 81,985 891,257 876,526 1.7

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 67,407 67,654 68,056 -0.4 -0.6 0.9 64,868 66,812 63,517 720,996 715,929 0.7

 New Orders.............................. 75,852 73,040 74,935 3.8 -2.5 4.9 74,788 71,611 70,843 806,009 781,950 3.1

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 61,945 61,833 62,571 0.2 -1.2 1.8 58,929 61,734 58,014 663,068 665,136 -0.3

 New Orders........................ 61,398 61,661 63,527 -0.4 -2.9 1.4 58,570 63,107 60,161 677,153 689,737 -1.8

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 8,400 8,057 8,077 4.3 -0.2 -4.3 8,692 7,867 8,491 89,291 86,276 3.5

 New Orders.............................. 6,457 8,526 7,979 -24.3 6.9 -26.8 6,535 9,253 11,142 85,248 94,576 -9.9

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(06), "Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: 2001-2006."

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

Nov Oct Sep Oct - Sep - Aug - Nov Oct Nov 2007/

2007 2 2007 r 2007 Nov 2 Oct r Sep 2007 2 2007 r 2006 2006

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 787,469 779,566 771,803 1.0 1.0 1.1 774,745 766,486 661,474 17.1

 Total Inventories....................... 317,232 314,824 313,607 0.8 0.4 0.3 318,165 315,495 308,947 3.0

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 328,891 327,824 325,644 0.3 0.7 1.1 323,761 323,344 297,501 8.8

 Total Inventories....................... 237,510 236,454 235,641 0.4 0.3 0.3 237,611 236,151 233,576 1.7

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 628,499 618,608 611,345 1.6 1.2 1.4 619,974 609,577 507,352 22.2

 Total Inventories....................... 295,176 293,206 292,249 0.7 0.3 0.2 296,028 293,746 287,271 3.0

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 787,469 779,566 771,803 1.0 1.0 1.1 774,745 766,486 661,474 17.1

 Total Inventories....................... 250,924 248,799 247,607 0.9 0.5 0.3 251,635 249,435 241,617 4.1

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 26,960 26,538 26,322 1.6 0.8 -0.7 25,862 25,260 26,266 -1.5

 Total Inventories....................... 30,706 30,964 31,370 -0.8 -1.3 -0.9 30,563 30,680 31,237 -2.2

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 58,204 57,802 57,225 0.7 1.0 0.2 56,806 57,054 52,979 7.2

 Total Inventories....................... 42,107 41,832 41,574 0.7 0.6 0.8 41,452 41,432 40,546 2.2

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 88,388 87,877 86,526 0.6 1.6 1.9 87,291 86,329 75,333 15.9

 Total Inventories....................... 52,086 51,803 51,530 0.5 0.5 0.8 52,463 51,797 48,912 7.3

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 117,189 117,704 117,675 -0.4 0.0 1.9 115,753 116,778 108,052 7.1

 Total Inventories....................... 43,986 43,523 43,294 1.1 0.5 0.4 44,808 44,082 45,201 -0.9

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 3,243 3,395 3,970 -4.5 -14.5 2.5 3,243 3,395 3,367 -3.7

 Total Inventories....................... 4,510 4,440 4,484 1.6 -1.0 0.9 4,795 4,594 4,816 -0.4

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 34,534 35,281 35,695 -2.1 -1.2 1.5 34,078 35,261 32,302 5.5

 Total Inventories....................... 7,282 7,199 7,274 1.2 -1.0 -1.3 7,612 7,332 8,025 -5.1

 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......................... 23,887 23,781 23,980 0.4 -0.8 -1.3 23,560 23,602 22,128 6.5

 Total Inventories....................... 14,684 14,540 14,323 1.0 1.5 -0.2 14,610 14,389 14,079 3.8

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 458,578 451,742 446,158 1.5 1.3 1.2 450,984 443,142 363,973 23.9

 Total Inventories....................... 79,722 78,370 77,965 1.7 0.5 0.4 80,554 79,344 75,371 6.9

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 19,250 19,139 19,187 0.6 -0.3 -1.8 18,595 18,197 19,854 -6.3

 Total Inventories....................... 23,999 24,145 24,237 -0.6 -0.4 -0.6 24,015 24,183 25,519 -5.9 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 295,449 286,356 280,646 3.2 2.0 2.3 291,888 282,041 204,423 42.8

 Total Inventories....................... 32,688 31,660 31,475 3.2 0.6 1.1 33,367 32,353 27,034 23.4

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 43,037 43,774 43,909 -1.7 -0.3 1.9 41,642 42,288 41,502 0.3

 Total Inventories....................... 13,040 12,809 12,853 1.8 -0.3 0.2 13,088 12,919 12,760 2.6

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 14,263 14,122 13,916 1.0 1.5 1.4 14,489 14,321 12,743 13.7

 Total Inventories....................... 53,941 53,792 53,549 0.3 0.5 0.2 53,715 53,771 53,601 0.2

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 593,195 586,693 580,838 1.1 1.0 1.2 584,860 577,097 485,408 20.5

 Total Inventories....................... 143,264 141,459 140,274 1.3 0.8 0.5 145,195 142,396 135,503 7.2

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 448,307 439,862 434,476 1.9 1.2 1.6 443,704 433,784 343,159 29.3

 Total Inventories....................... 125,566 123,962 123,085 1.3 0.7 0.3 127,464 124,878 118,501 7.6

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 180,708 181,255 181,427 -0.3 -0.1 0.5 179,005 179,364 163,658 9.4

 Total Inventories................... 100,448 99,783 99,012 0.7 0.8 0.3 101,732 100,149 97,082 4.8

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 144,888 146,831 146,362 -1.3 0.3 -0.1 141,156 143,313 142,249 -0.8

 Total Inventories....................... 17,698 17,497 17,189 1.1 1.8 2.1 17,731 17,518 17,002 4.3

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 4,200 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. 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.

2008 Release Dates for M3 Survey 

Survey Month Advance 8:30 A.M. Preliminary 10:00 A.M. 

Nov 2007 December 27, 2007 January 3, 2008 

Dec 2007 January 29, 2008 February 4, 2008 

Jan 2008 February 27, 2008 March 5, 2008 

Feb 2008 March 26, 2008 April 2, 2008 

Mar 2008 April 24, 2008 May 2, 2008 

Apr 2008 May 28, 2008 June 3, 2008 

May 2008 June 25, 2008 July 2, 2008 

Jun 2008 July 25, 2008 August 4, 2008 

Jul 2008 August 27, 2008 September 3, 2008

Aug 2008 September 25, 2008 October 2, 2008 

Sep 2008 October 29, 2008 November 4, 2008

Oct 2008 November 26, 2008 December 4, 2008

Nov 2008 December 24, 2008