FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014, AT 8:30 A.M. EST 

Adriana Stoica 

Economic Indicators Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (14)-10 

CB14-209

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

October 2014 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

October increased $1.0 billion or 0.4 percent to $243.8 

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

increase, up following two consecutive monthly 

decreases, followed a 0.9 percent September decrease. 

Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.9 

percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 0.6 

percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, also up following two 

consecutive monthly decreases, drove the increase, $2.5 

billion or 3.4 percent to $76.3 billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in October, 

up four of the last five months, increased $0.3 billion or 

0.1 percent to $246.5 billion. This followed a 0.3 percent 

September increase. 

 Transportation equipment, also up four of the last five 

months, drove the increase, $0.4 billion or 0.5 percent to 

$72.9 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

October, up eighteen of the last nineteen months, 

increased $5.0 billion or 0.4 percent to $1,174.0 billion. 

This was at the highest level since the series was first 

published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.4 

percent September increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up thirteen of the last 

fourteen months, led the increase, $3.4 billion or 0.5 

percent to $746.3 billion.

Inventories 

 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in October, 

up eighteen of the last nineteen months, increased $2.0 

billion or 0.5 percent to $406.8 billion. This was at the 

highest level since the series was first published on a 

NAICS basis and followed a 0.5 percent September 

increase. 

 Transportation equipment, also up eighteen of the last 

nineteen months, led the increase, $0.9 billion or 0.7 

percent to $131.7 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in October 

decreased $0.1 billion or 0.1 percent to $82.2 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.6 billion or 0.8 percent to $80.1 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $2.1 billion or 0.3 

percent to $735.1 billion. Inventories increased $0.9 

billion or 0.5 percent to $185.9 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in October 

increased $1.1 billion or 11.2 percent to $10.5 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.1 billion or 1.4 percent to $9.8 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $0.7 billion or 0.4 

percent to $158.6 billion. Inventories increased $0.2 

billion or 1.0 percent to $23.9 billion. 

Revised September Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted September figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $500.3 

billion (revised from $499.4 billion); shipments, $503.7 

billion (revised from $503.4 billion); unfilled orders, 

$1,169.1 billion (revised from $1,168.7 billion); and 

total inventories, $655.5 billion (revised from $655.2 

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 December 5, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. EST. The Advance Report on durable goods for November 

is scheduled for release on December 23, 2014 at 8:30 a.m. EST. See back page for survey description. To receive the latest updates on the 

Nation's key economic indicators, download the America's Economy app for Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. The U.S. 

Census Bureau updated its Application Programming Interface (API) with monthly and quarterly economic indicators. The API allows developers to combine Census Bureau statistics with other data sets to create tools for research on a variety of topics.
 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 Percent

Oct Sep Aug Sep - Aug - Jul - Oct Sep Oct Change

2014 2 2014 r 2014 Oct 2 Sep r Aug 2014 2 2014 r 2013 2014 2013 2014/2013

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Shipments................................ 246,456 246,202 245,532 0.1 0.3 -1.7 256,834 259,490 242,424 2,425,531 2,305,252 5.2

 New Orders4

.............................. 243,806 242,827 245,001 0.4 -0.9 -18.3 246,626 256,828 233,977 2,447,135 2,276,173 7.5

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 173,565 173,671 173,222 -0.1 0.3 -0.1 179,064 182,417 167,707 1,712,551 1,621,886 5.6

 New Orders4

.............................. 167,551 169,070 168,710 -0.9 0.2 0.7 169,958 177,096 159,800 1,663,978 1,575,784 5.6

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 234,503 234,471 233,602 0.0 0.4 -1.8 245,308 246,610 230,779 2,309,539 2,185,495 5.7

 New Orders4

.............................. 230,176 231,619 234,412 -0.6 -1.2 -19.0 234,500 244,446 224,848 2,333,795 2,172,439 7.4

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 174,280 174,122 173,615 0.1 0.3 -0.7 178,105 184,251 166,712 1,702,838 1,613,633 5.5

 New Orders.............................. 179,247 178,270 181,084 0.5 -1.6 -22.3 177,217 188,371 166,485 1,801,957 1,654,342 8.9

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 27,913 27,876 27,692 0.1 0.7 0.4 28,656 28,447 26,637 274,388 256,343 7.0

 New Orders.............................. 28,001 28,678 27,972 -2.4 2.5 0.3 28,619 28,480 27,244 277,002 259,166 6.9

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 30,382 30,517 30,268 -0.4 0.8 0.0 32,163 32,137 30,782 302,969 292,795 3.5

 New Orders.............................. 30,858 30,927 30,612 -0.2 1.0 -0.2 31,412 31,769 28,587 305,254 300,772 1.5

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 37,140 37,171 37,017 -0.1 0.4 0.2 37,451 38,371 34,257 364,035 342,555 6.3

 New Orders.............................. 36,650 37,095 38,226 -1.2 -3.0 1.2 36,590 38,042 34,944 375,091 348,235 7.7

 Computers and electronic products4

:

 Shipments................................ 28,995 28,944 29,590 0.2 -2.2 -1.2 29,472 31,453 28,045 287,599 273,983 5.0

 New Orders.............................. 22,457 22,433 22,894 0.1 -2.0 1.7 21,399 26,422 20,775 219,021 209,892 4.3

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 1,962 1,975 2,079 -0.7 -5.0 -10.2 1,569 2,764 1,773 21,062 22,120 -4.8

 New Orders.............................. 2,043 2,115 2,156 -3.4 -1.9 -11.7 1,650 2,904 1,797 21,806 22,249 -2.0

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 3,725 3,790 3,740 -1.7 1.3 -2.9 3,436 4,549 3,696 37,372 38,981 -4.1

 New Orders.............................. 3,820 3,509 4,236 8.9 -17.2 1.3 3,627 4,430 4,000 40,160 42,921 -6.4

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 10,560 10,642 10,646 -0.8 0.0 0.4 10,811 11,418 10,578 104,628 103,123 1.5

 New Orders.............................. 10,907 11,255 10,913 -3.1 3.1 3.1 11,299 11,562 10,891 107,733 104,322 3.3

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 72,891 72,531 72,310 0.5 0.3 -5.4 77,770 77,073 74,717 712,980 683,366 4.3

 New Orders.............................. 76,255 73,757 76,291 3.4 -3.3 -42.4 76,668 79,732 74,177 783,157 700,389 11.8

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 47,633 47,332 47,255 0.6 0.2 -7.0 53,377 49,330 51,712 474,386 454,688 4.3

 New Orders.............................. 47,599 47,455 47,581 0.3 -0.3 -6.5 53,048 49,497 51,423 474,622 453,773 4.6

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 13,155 13,414 13,192 -1.9 1.7 -1.5 12,567 14,682 11,448 121,141 109,461 10.7

 New Orders.............................. 15,270 15,282 18,192 -0.1 -16.0 -74.0 11,330 18,307 13,655 192,243 143,240 34.2

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 4,540 4,526 4,362 0.3 3.8 -4.3 4,289 5,021 4,467 44,359 46,188 -4.0

 New Orders.............................. 5,355 3,686 3,806 45.3 -3.2 -4.7 5,331 3,994 3,990 42,365 39,001 8.6

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 38,575 38,521 38,009 0.1 1.3 -0.1 40,511 40,591 37,408 378,932 353,087 7.3

 New Orders.............................. 38,678 38,682 38,093 0.0 1.5 0.1 40,639 40,821 37,359 379,877 353,397 7.5

 Capital goods3

:

 Shipments................................ 89,886 90,380 89,638 -0.5 0.8 0.5 88,848 97,518 82,762 869,143 827,469 5.0

 New Orders.............................. 92,643 91,705 95,379 1.0 -3.9 -34.1 86,261 99,821 81,189 947,629 863,902 9.7

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 80,094 80,723 79,832 -0.8 1.1 0.3 79,414 86,907 73,308 774,366 730,417 6.0

 New Orders.............................. 82,159 82,277 86,659 -0.1 -5.1 -36.4 77,632 89,204 74,677 856,347 780,675 9.7

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 70,499 70,766 70,450 -0.4 0.4 0.2 70,140 75,963 65,273 689,456 654,772 5.3

 New Orders.......................... 71,212 72,148 73,112 -1.3 -1.3 0.4 70,338 76,676 65,374 711,480 674,868 5.4

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 9,792 9,657 9,806 1.4 -1.5 2.2 9,434 10,611 9,454 94,777 97,052 -2.3

 New Orders.............................. 10,484 9,428 8,720 11.2 8.1 4.9 8,629 10,617 6,512 91,282 83,227 9.7

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 Change

Oct Sep Aug Sep - Aug - Jul - Oct Sep Oct 2014/

2014 2 2014 r 2014 Oct 2 Sep r Aug 2014 2 2014 r 2013 2013

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Unfilled Orders4......................... 1,174,044 1,169,077 1,164,929 0.4 0.4 0.6 1,159,397 1,160,285 1,031,573 12.4

 Total Inventories....................... 406,827 404,798 402,908 0.5 0.5 0.4 407,806 403,607 384,607 6.0

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 427,721 426,118 423,196 0.4 0.7 0.8 422,779 422,565 395,021 7.0

 Total Inventories....................... 275,133 274,006 273,029 0.4 0.4 0.4 275,374 272,999 263,630 4.5

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

........................... 983,953 980,663 975,992 0.3 0.5 0.9 971,145 972,633 837,242 16.0

 Total Inventories....................... 377,594 375,800 373,609 0.5 0.6 0.4 378,619 374,785 356,652 6.2

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 1,174,044 1,169,077 1,164,929 0.4 0.4 0.6 1,159,397 1,160,285 1,031,573 12.4

 Total Inventories....................... 334,371 332,486 330,808 0.6 0.5 0.4 335,101 331,397 315,069 6.4

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 40,403 40,315 39,513 0.2 2.0 0.7 38,667 38,704 34,950 10.6

 Total Inventories....................... 37,802 37,494 37,159 0.8 0.9 0.9 37,585 37,516 34,698 8.3

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 87,629 87,153 86,743 0.5 0.5 0.4 86,082 86,833 86,929 -1.0

 Total Inventories....................... 50,090 49,952 49,841 0.3 0.2 0.4 49,898 49,869 47,521 5.0

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 119,999 120,489 120,565 -0.4 -0.1 1.0 118,803 119,664 107,470 10.5

 Total Inventories....................... 68,038 67,799 67,354 0.4 0.7 0.0 68,179 67,518 66,332 2.8

 Computers and electronic products4

:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 145,940 144,861 143,849 0.7 0.7 0.9 145,908 144,661 136,359 7.0

 Total Inventories....................... 49,261 48,849 48,684 0.8 0.3 0.5 49,800 48,601 47,227 5.4

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 4,133 4,052 3,912 2.0 3.6 2.0 4,133 4,052 3,356 23.2

 Total Inventories....................... 4,668 4,710 4,659 -0.9 1.1 -0.9 4,818 4,665 4,615 4.4

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 38,339 38,244 38,525 0.2 -0.7 1.3 38,315 38,124 34,370 11.5

 Total Inventories....................... 7,534 7,532 7,617 0.0 -1.1 -0.6 7,559 7,441 7,515 0.6

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 25,768 25,421 24,808 1.4 2.5 1.1 25,395 24,907 22,173 14.5

 Total Inventories....................... 16,375 16,558 16,749 -1.1 -1.1 0.7 16,411 16,316 17,102 -4.0

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 746,323 742,959 741,733 0.5 0.2 0.5 736,618 737,720 636,552 15.7

 Total Inventories....................... 131,694 130,792 129,879 0.7 0.7 0.4 132,432 130,608 120,977 9.5

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 17,285 17,319 17,196 -0.2 0.7 1.9 16,752 17,081 15,870 5.6

 Total Inventories....................... 27,435 27,248 26,953 0.7 1.1 1.1 27,935 27,393 26,044 7.3

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 574,303 572,188 570,320 0.4 0.3 0.9 566,810 568,047 465,135 21.9

 Total Inventories....................... 74,393 73,812 73,035 0.8 1.1 0.0 74,544 73,471 66,379 12.3

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 63,330 62,515 63,355 1.3 -1.3 -0.9 62,517 61,475 65,172 -4.1

 Total Inventories....................... 14,520 14,316 14,588 1.4 -1.9 1.2 14,526 14,298 13,431 8.2

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 7,982 7,879 7,718 1.3 2.1 1.1 7,924 7,796 7,140 11.0

 Total Inventories....................... 53,567 53,354 53,242 0.4 0.2 0.2 53,501 53,179 50,750 5.4

 Capital goods3

:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 893,699 890,942 889,617 0.3 0.1 0.6 882,931 885,518 777,647 13.5

 Total Inventories....................... 209,779 208,607 207,646 0.6 0.5 0.2 210,650 207,600 198,251 6.3

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 735,110 733,045 731,491 0.3 0.2 0.9 725,852 727,634 613,529 18.3

 Total Inventories....................... 185,916 184,979 183,755 0.5 0.7 0.2 186,839 184,130 175,421 6.5

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 252,950 252,237 250,855 0.3 0.6 1.1 250,669 250,471 227,935 10.0

 Total Inventories................... 123,429 123,168 122,748 0.2 0.3 0.3 124,282 122,571 120,871 2.8

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 158,589 157,897 158,126 0.4 -0.1 -0.7 157,079 157,884 164,118 -4.3

 Total Inventories....................... 23,863 23,628 23,891 1.0 -1.1 0.4 23,811 23,470 22,830 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-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 65

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.

Release Dates for the M3 Survey

Survey month Advance Report 

(8:30 a.m. release time)

Full Report 

(10:00 a.m. release time)

October 2014 November 26, 2014 December 5, 2014

November 2014 December 23, 2014 January 6, 2015

December 2014 January 27, 2015 February 3, 2015

January 2015 February 26, 2015 March 5, 2015

February 2015 March 25, 2015 April 2, 2015

March 2015 April 24, 2015 May 4, 2015

April 2015 May 26, 2015 June 2, 2015

May 2015 June 23, 2015 July 2, 2015

June 2015 July 27, 2015 August 4, 2015

July 2015 August 26, 2015 September 2, 2015

August 2015 September 24, 2015 October 2, 2015

September 2015 October 27, 2015 November 3, 2015

October 2015 November 25, 2015 December 3, 2015

November 2015 December 23, 2015 Not available at this time