FOR IMMEDIATE RELEAS E 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT

Adriana Stoica

Economic Indicators Division

(301) 763-4832

M3-1 (15)-08

CB 15-160

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

August 2015

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in August

decreased $4.8 billion or 2.0 percent to $236.3 billion, 

the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This

decrease, down following two consecutive monthly 

increases, followed a 1.9 percent July increase.

Excluding transportation, new orders decreased less than 

$0.1 billion, or virtually unchanged. Excluding defense, 

new orders decreased $2.2 billion or 1.0 percent.

 

 Transportation equipment, also down following two

consecutive monthly increases, led the decrease, $4.8

billion or 5.8 percent to $78.7 billion.

Shipments

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in August,

down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased less than $0.1 billion, or virtually unchanged, 

to $243.2 billion. This followed a 1.0 percent July

increase. 

 Primary metals, down ten of the last eleven months, drove the decrease, $0.2 billion or 1.0 percent to $20.5

billion.

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

August, down following two consecutive monthly 

increases, decreased $2.2 billion or 0.2 percent to 

$1,195.3 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent July

increase. 

 Transportation equipment, also down following two 

consecutive monthly increases, led the decrease, $2.1

billion or 0.3 percent to $800.3 billion.

Inventories

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in August, up two of the last three months, increased $0.1 billion, or 

virtually unchanged, to $401.4 billion. This followed a 

0.2 percent July decrease.

 Transportation equipment, up four of the last five 

months, drove the increase, $0.9 billion or 0.7 percent to 

$132.5 billion. 

Capital Goods

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in August

decreased $1.6 billion or 2.0 percent to $80.4 billion. 

Shipments increased $1.4 billion or 1.8 percent to $80.8

billion. Unfilled orders decreased $0.3 billion, or

virtually unchanged, to $761.6 billion. Inventories 

decreased $0.4 billion or 0.2 percent to $176.5 billion.

 Defense new orders for capital goods in August

decreased $2.7 billion or 24.3 percent to $8.6 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.5 billion or 4.6 percent to $10.0

billion. Unfilled orders decreased $1.4 billion or 1.0

percent to $148.8 billion. Inventories increased $0.7

billion or 3.1 percent to $23.7 billion.

Revised July Data

 Revised seasonally adjusted July figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $481.7

billion (revised from $482.0 billion); shipments, $483.8

billion (revised from $483.6 billion); unfilled orders, 

$1,197.5 billion (revised from $1,198.0 billion); and 

total inventories, $650.8 billion (revised from $651.2

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 October 2, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The Advance Report on durable goods for September is

scheduled for release on O ctober 27, 2015 at 8:30 a.m. EDT. 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. To learn more 

about this release and the other indicators the U.S. Census Bureau publishes, join us for the Investigating Economic Indicators Webinar 

Series. For more information, visit www.census.gov/econ/webinar.

“Virtually unchanged” indicates that the change is less than 0.05 percent for a percent increase or decrease. 
 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

Aug Jul Jun Jul - Jun - May - Aug Jul Aug Change

2015 2 2015 r 2015 Aug 2 Jul r Jun 2015 2 2015 r 2014 2015 2014 2015/2014

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Shipments................................ 243,246 243,283 240,911 0.0 1.0 0.9 247,167 230,146 244,369 1,909,573 1,866,212 2.3

 New Orders4

.............................. 236,322 241,161 236,611 -2.0 1.9 4.1 230,419 226,842 234,807 1,842,447 1,932,242 -4.6

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 162,417 162,391 162,454 0.0 0.0 0.4 165,614 160,047 169,771 1,295,483 1,298,596 -0.2

 New Orders4

.............................. 157,586 157,611 157,026 0.0 0.4 1.0 156,915 153,207 161,897 1,256,391 1,283,625 -2.1

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 230,856 230,331 228,052 0.2 1.0 0.4 234,977 218,681 232,448 1,815,737 1,773,760 2.4

 New Orders4

.............................. 225,336 227,548 225,610 -1.0 0.9 4.2 222,262 215,483 226,858 1,759,107 1,835,999 -4.2

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 174,124 173,875 172,730 0.1 0.7 1.0 176,044 164,594 174,024 1,368,474 1,330,756 2.8

 New Orders.............................. 171,894 176,143 173,252 -2.4 1.7 5.2 164,514 166,528 170,198 1,339,827 1,441,527 -7.1

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 20,505 20,720 21,117 -1.0 -1.9 -1.0 21,058 20,453 24,449 173,762 186,890 -7.0

 New Orders.............................. 20,564 20,553 20,985 0.1 -2.1 -2.6 20,457 20,093 23,160 172,721 188,551 -8.4

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 29,810 29,819 29,895 0.0 -0.3 0.0 31,134 29,625 31,799 240,396 239,284 0.5

 New Orders.............................. 29,356 29,880 30,294 -1.8 -1.4 2.0 30,027 29,776 31,417 241,004 244,851 -1.6

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 33,848 33,691 33,943 0.5 -0.7 1.5 33,231 32,689 34,988 267,245 271,161 -1.4

 New Orders.............................. 33,459 33,133 32,658 1.0 1.5 2.4 32,371 31,735 34,689 261,066 284,642 -8.3

 Computers and electronic products4

:

 Shipments................................ 29,417 29,183 29,269 0.8 -0.3 -0.2 29,547 27,947 28,087 226,703 221,586 2.3

 New Orders.............................. 25,256 25,319 25,026 -0.2 1.2 0.9 23,971 23,076 22,709 193,899 183,184 5.8

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 1,995 2,133 2,168 -6.5 -1.6 3.5 1,679 1,661 1,826 15,913 17,353 -8.3

 New Orders.............................. 1,986 2,105 2,232 -5.7 -5.7 10.4 1,670 1,633 1,871 16,033 17,670 -9.3

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 3,632 3,705 3,693 -2.0 0.3 1.8 3,590 3,250 3,530 28,685 28,201 1.7

 New Orders.............................. 3,874 4,107 4,019 -5.7 2.2 3.5 3,647 3,626 4,046 31,411 31,829 -1.3

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 10,168 10,363 10,201 -1.9 1.6 -0.9 10,380 10,069 10,944 82,348 82,931 -0.7

 New Orders.............................. 10,142 10,206 10,107 -0.6 1.0 1.3 10,208 9,499 10,904 82,113 84,978 -3.4

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 80,829 80,892 78,457 -0.1 3.1 1.9 81,553 70,099 74,598 614,090 567,616 8.2

 New Orders.............................. 78,736 83,550 79,585 -5.8 5.0 10.8 73,504 73,635 72,910 586,056 648,617 -9.6

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 52,967 53,705 51,303 -1.4 4.7 1.0 54,619 46,465 48,742 406,880 370,574 9.8

 New Orders.............................. 52,880 53,766 51,269 -1.6 4.9 0.9 54,542 46,036 49,215 405,803 371,639 9.2

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 15,377 13,917 14,180 10.5 -1.9 -1.3 14,649 12,110 12,944 110,211 95,449 15.5

 New Orders.............................. 15,101 16,048 17,568 -5.9 -8.7 69.9 10,671 16,238 14,211 94,639 169,536 -44.2

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 5,069 5,279 5,440 -4.0 -3.0 20.5 4,891 4,505 4,493 36,692 36,561 0.4

 New Orders.............................. 4,580 4,356 5,081 5.1 -14.3 31.1 3,163 3,331 2,745 29,870 34,405 -13.2

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 38,669 38,615 38,029 0.1 1.5 1.4 40,264 39,264 39,504 305,029 296,744 2.8

 New Orders.............................. 38,809 38,520 37,956 0.8 1.5 1.1 39,881 39,028 39,018 305,588 297,419 2.7

 Capital goods3

:

 Shipments................................ 90,748 89,788 89,636 1.1 0.2 1.8 89,208 83,614 88,502 698,574 679,895 2.7

 New Orders.............................. 88,978 93,360 90,594 -4.7 3.1 9.9 80,871 86,824 86,976 678,473 772,228 -12.1

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 80,759 79,319 79,240 1.8 0.1 0.7 79,324 74,273 78,891 623,065 606,410 2.7

 New Orders.............................. 80,425 82,058 81,504 -2.0 0.7 10.7 74,407 77,074 80,474 609,812 694,887 -12.2

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 69,803 69,922 69,585 -0.2 0.5 1.0 68,726 66,152 69,964 548,320 543,857 0.8

 New Orders.......................... 69,795 69,963 68,540 -0.2 2.1 1.5 67,181 65,244 69,947 547,812 567,619 -3.5

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 9,989 10,469 10,396 -4.6 0.7 10.7 9,884 9,341 9,611 75,509 73,485 2.8

 New Orders.............................. 8,553 11,302 9,090 -24.3 24.3 2.8 6,464 9,750 6,502 68,661 77,341 -11.2

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 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

Aug Jul Jun Jul - Jun - May - Aug Jul Aug 2015/

2015 2 2015 r 2015 Aug 2 Jul r Jun 2015 2 2015 r 2014 2014

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Unfilled Orders4......................... 1,195,255 1,197,485 1,195,217 -0.2 0.2 0.0 1,186,255 1,197,785 1,200,582 -1.2

 Total Inventories....................... 401,400 401,344 402,145 0.0 -0.2 0.4 404,266 404,263 394,305 2.5

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 394,931 395,068 395,458 0.0 -0.1 -0.2 393,536 397,017 395,156 -0.4

 Total Inventories....................... 268,854 269,669 270,305 -0.3 -0.2 0.0 271,138 271,508 268,915 0.8

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

........................... 1,013,398 1,014,224 1,012,617 -0.1 0.2 0.2 1,005,717 1,013,214 1,006,367 -0.1

 Total Inventories....................... 372,688 373,436 374,485 -0.2 -0.3 0.3 375,556 376,121 368,791 1.8

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 1,195,255 1,197,485 1,195,217 -0.2 0.2 0.0 1,186,255 1,197,785 1,200,582 -1.2

 Total Inventories....................... 327,913 327,733 328,086 0.1 -0.1 0.4 330,643 330,762 323,172 2.3

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 35,610 35,551 35,718 0.2 -0.5 -0.4 35,141 35,742 36,247 -3.1

 Total Inventories....................... 36,485 36,979 37,313 -1.3 -0.9 -1.2 36,580 36,974 38,738 -5.6

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 81,863 82,317 82,256 -0.6 0.1 0.5 82,434 83,541 83,216 -0.9

 Total Inventories....................... 49,048 48,993 49,125 0.1 -0.3 0.1 49,141 49,393 48,439 1.4

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 111,432 111,821 112,379 -0.3 -0.5 -1.1 111,000 111,860 121,551 -8.7

 Total Inventories....................... 66,508 66,668 66,879 -0.2 -0.3 -0.1 67,333 67,255 67,102 0.3

 Computers and electronic products4

:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 134,940 134,407 133,881 0.4 0.4 0.4 134,190 134,548 124,422 7.9

 Total Inventories....................... 45,872 46,068 46,055 -0.4 0.0 0.4 46,666 46,511 45,112 3.4

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 2,592 2,601 2,629 -0.3 -1.1 2.5 2,592 2,601 2,306 12.4

 Total Inventories....................... 3,674 3,861 4,049 -4.8 -4.6 1.4 3,849 3,989 4,116 -6.5

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 39,599 39,357 38,955 0.6 1.0 0.8 39,371 39,314 35,088 12.2

 Total Inventories....................... 5,625 5,615 5,614 0.2 0.0 -2.1 5,703 5,588 6,139 -7.1

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 22,497 22,523 22,680 -0.1 -0.7 -0.4 22,324 22,496 21,903 1.9

 Total Inventories....................... 16,724 16,667 16,591 0.3 0.5 0.3 16,941 16,919 16,774 1.0

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 800,324 802,417 799,759 -0.3 0.3 0.1 792,719 800,768 805,426 -1.6

 Total Inventories....................... 132,546 131,675 131,840 0.7 -0.1 1.2 133,128 132,755 125,390 6.2

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 21,591 21,678 21,617 -0.4 0.3 -0.2 20,953 21,030 19,985 4.8

 Total Inventories....................... 35,971 35,892 36,294 0.2 -1.1 0.3 35,975 35,956 33,115 8.6

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 614,081 614,357 612,226 0.0 0.3 0.6 608,204 612,182 609,372 -0.2

 Total Inventories....................... 67,061 66,984 66,739 0.1 0.4 1.2 67,477 67,723 65,165 3.5

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 63,768 64,257 65,180 -0.8 -1.4 -0.5 62,567 64,295 68,429 -8.6

 Total Inventories....................... 12,788 12,427 12,433 2.9 0.0 -3.8 12,818 12,557 13,024 -1.6

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 8,589 8,449 8,544 1.7 -1.1 -0.8 8,447 8,830 7,817 8.1

 Total Inventories....................... 54,217 54,294 54,342 -0.1 -0.1 0.6 54,477 54,456 52,750 3.3

 Capital goods3

:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 910,409 912,179 908,607 -0.2 0.4 0.1 904,133 912,470 915,591 -1.3

 Total Inventories....................... 200,178 199,857 199,790 0.2 0.0 0.8 202,433 201,930 197,456 2.5

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 761,601 761,935 759,196 0.0 0.4 0.3 755,741 760,658 755,244 0.1

 Total Inventories....................... 176,520 176,905 177,066 -0.2 -0.1 0.5 178,807 178,874 176,927 1.1

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 246,579 246,587 246,546 0.0 0.0 -0.4 245,858 247,403 245,287 0.2

 Total Inventories................... 120,676 121,001 121,397 -0.3 -0.3 0.1 122,591 122,197 122,769 -0.1

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 148,808 150,244 149,411 -1.0 0.6 -0.9 148,392 151,812 160,347 -7.5

 Total Inventories....................... 23,658 22,952 22,724 3.1 1.0 3.6 23,626 23,056 20,529 15.1

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, which is a voluntary survey authorized by Title 13 of the United States Code. 

This survey provides statistics on a calendar-month basis for 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). Data published from the M3 survey are based on a panel of approximately 

4,800 reporting units that represent approximately 3,000 companies and provide an indication of month-tomonth change for the Manufacturing Sector. These reporting units may be divisions of diversified large 

companies, large homogenous companies, or single-unit manufacturers in 92 industry categories, which are 

combined into 65 publication levels due to the small monthly panel size. The survey methodology 

assumes that the month-to-month changes of the total operations of the reporting units in the M3 panel

effectively represent the month-to-month movements of all establishments that make up the category.

The companies for which shipments data are currently reported or imputed in the M3 survey represent 

approximately 61 percent of the total value of shipments for manufacturing establishments in the 2012 

Economic Census, and these companies include almost two-thirds of the manufacturing companies with 

$500 million or more in shipments in the 2012 Economic Census. The companies for which shipments 

data are currently reported in the M3 survey represent approximately 54 percent of the total value of 

shipments for manufacturing establishments in the 2012 Economic Census. Statistics based on the M3 

panel differ from the results that would be obtained from a complete enumeration of all manufacturing 

companies. The M3 panel is not based on 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.