FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2006, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Patrick Kent 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (06)-5 

CB06-101

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

May 2006 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in May 

decreased $0.6 billion or 0.3 percent to $208.7 billion, 

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

second consecutive monthly decrease and follows a 4.7 

percent April decrease. Excluding transportation, new 

orders increased 0.7 percent. Excluding defense, new 

orders decreased 0.1 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, down two consecutive 

months, had the largest decrease, $1.5 billion or 2.6 

percent to $58.6 billion. The decrease was due to 

nondefense aircraft and parts, which decreased $2.3 

billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in May, up 

three of the last four months, increased $5.4 billion or 

2.6 percent to $211.9 billion. This was at the highest 

level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis 

in 1992 and followed a 1.2 percent April decrease. 

 Transportation equipment, up three of the last four 

months, had the largest increase, $2.8 billion or 5.1 

percent to $57.5 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

May, up twelve of the last thirteen months, increased 

$3.7 billion or 0.6 percent to $611.3 billion. This was at 

the highest level since the series began and followed a 

1.5 percent April increase. 

 Machinery, up twenty-one consecutive months, had 

the largest increase, $1.4 billion or 2.1 percent to $68.0 

billion. This was at the highest level since the series 

began. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in May, up 

four of the last five months, increased $1.0 billion or 0.4 

percent to $279.7 billion. This followed a 1.1 percent 

April increase. 

 Primary metals, up six consecutive months, had the 

largest increase, $0.4 billion or 1.6 percent to $26.9 

billion. This was at the highest level since the series 

began. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in May 

decreased $1.4 billion or 1.9 percent to $70.7 billion. 

Shipments increased $1.4 billion or 2.1 percent to $66.8 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $3.9 billion or 1.2 

percent to $314.4 billion. Inventories decreased $0.1 

billion or 0.1 percent to $108.4 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in May 

decreased $0.6 billion or 7.6 percent to $6.8 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.2 billion or 2.0 percent to $7.9 

billion. Unfilled orders decreased $1.1 billion or 0.8 

percent to $125.4 billion. Inventories increased slightly 

to $14.3 billion. 

Revised April Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted April figures for all 

manufacturing industries are: new orders, $397.1 billion 

(revised from $398.0 billion); shipments, $394.3 billion 

(revised from $394.9); unfilled orders, $607.5 billion 

(revised from $607.9 billion); and total inventories, 

$462.0 billion (revised from $460.9 billion).

Figures in text, other than year-to-date, 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 July 5, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The 

advance report on durable goods for June is scheduled for release on July 27, 2006, 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

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

2006 2 2006 r 2006 May 2 Apr r Mar 2006 2 2006 r 2005 2006 2005 06/05

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments................................ 211,920 206,487 209,008 2.6 -1.2 0.3 217,270 198,321 198,370 1,033,916 963,465 7.3

 New Orders4.............................. 208,666 209,234 219,499 -0.3 -4.7 6.0 211,463 200,213 201,294 1,044,198 953,811 9.5

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 154,421 151,757 152,266 1.8 -0.3 -0.2 156,332 146,525 141,582 750,055 690,236 8.7

 New Orders4.............................. 150,059 149,078 150,594 0.7 -1.0 3.4 151,408 144,610 135,835 739,620 674,015 9.7

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 202,486 196,954 199,560 2.8 -1.3 0.1 208,058 189,144 189,578 988,963 921,020 7.4

 New Orders4

.............................. 200,547 200,762 207,947 -0.1 -3.5 5.8 205,305 192,435 195,451 999,835 915,848 9.2

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 145,727 142,591 142,987 2.2 -0.3 1.3 148,613 137,616 134,010 707,483 652,399 8.4

 New Orders4

.............................. 149,466 151,397 160,195 -1.3 -5.5 8.2 149,625 145,149 142,851 751,464 672,915 11.7

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 18,555 17,529 17,610 5.9 -0.5 2.5 19,447 17,597 16,351 90,766 82,964 9.4

 New Orders.............................. 19,009 18,369 17,752 3.5 3.5 4.3 19,608 17,917 15,833 92,853 82,036 13.2

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 24,624 24,400 24,340 0.9 0.2 0.1 25,686 23,855 23,580 121,045 111,979 8.1

 New Orders.............................. 25,033 25,355 24,739 -1.3 2.5 2.1 26,761 25,054 24,784 126,139 116,607 8.2

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 26,698 26,609 26,504 0.3 0.4 2.7 27,553 27,197 24,718 132,971 120,203 10.6

 New Orders.............................. 28,105 27,466 27,461 2.3 0.0 5.4 28,577 28,337 24,357 140,909 125,098 12.6

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments................................ 35,515 34,698 34,970 2.4 -0.8 -3.3 33,541 31,313 30,338 167,118 152,965 9.3

 New Orders4.............................. 28,231 28,539 32,006 -1.1 -10.8 12.0 25,556 25,771 23,545 137,805 126,698 8.8

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 6,698 6,661 6,780 0.6 -1.8 3.1 5,759 6,277 5,556 30,968 29,887 3.6

 New Orders.............................. 6,675 6,549 6,802 1.9 -3.7 4.2 5,736 6,165 5,592 30,477 29,319 3.9 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 6,137 6,395 6,031 -4.0 6.0 2.4 5,911 5,461 4,922 28,307 23,598 20.0

 New Orders.............................. 5,625 5,311 7,448 5.9 -28.7 20.3 5,132 4,588 4,590 29,172 25,796 13.1

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments................................ 6,993 6,059 6,717 15.4 -9.8 -17.7 6,819 5,641 5,917 33,699 30,170 11.7

 New Orders4.............................. (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 10,234 10,054 9,990 1.8 0.6 1.2 10,424 9,475 9,187 48,672 43,918 10.8

 New Orders.............................. 10,730 10,753 10,091 -0.2 6.6 -2.9 10,957 10,197 9,459 51,910 45,196 14.9

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 57,499 54,730 56,742 5.1 -3.5 1.7 60,938 51,796 56,788 283,861 273,229 3.9

 New Orders.............................. 58,607 60,156 68,905 -2.6 -12.7 12.3 60,055 55,603 65,459 304,578 279,796 8.9

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 40,710 39,117 40,231 4.1 -2.8 3.0 44,066 37,249 41,952 204,642 203,105 0.8

 New Orders.............................. 40,735 39,726 40,557 2.5 -2.0 3.5 43,611 37,742 41,846 206,035 203,092 1.4 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 7,892 6,586 7,576 19.8 -13.1 -6.3 8,140 6,003 5,989 36,896 27,703 33.2

 New Orders.............................. 10,728 13,064 18,592 -17.9 -29.7 59.9 10,577 11,200 17,333 58,263 37,997 53.3

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 3,528 3,410 3,450 3.5 -1.2 -1.0 3,251 3,177 3,116 16,053 15,660 2.5

 New Orders.............................. 2,829 2,238 3,390 26.4 -34.0 -1.6 2,141 2,078 1,929 16,625 12,284 35.3

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 38,795 38,467 38,852 0.9 -1.0 -0.9 39,681 37,088 37,408 189,483 178,207 6.3

 New Orders.............................. 38,951 38,596 38,545 0.9 0.1 -2.3 39,949 37,334 37,857 190,004 178,380 6.5

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 74,721 73,483 73,923 1.7 -0.6 1.7 74,197 69,934 66,160 358,976 322,527 11.3

 New Orders.............................. 77,533 79,457 87,001 -2.4 -8.7 12.0 74,600 74,777 74,805 386,757 339,764 13.8

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 66,823 65,424 66,115 2.1 -1.0 1.5 66,378 62,130 58,644 321,067 286,443 12.1

 New Orders.............................. 70,685 72,042 76,888 -1.9 -6.3 11.6 69,425 68,066 69,929 349,594 307,156 13.8

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 61,621 61,550 61,060 0.1 0.8 2.0 60,862 58,726 55,473 297,501 272,825 9.0

 New Orders.......................... 62,946 62,331 63,506 1.0 -1.9 3.4 61,714 60,220 55,144 310,476 282,353 10.0

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 7,898 8,059 7,808 -2.0 3.2 4.0 7,819 7,804 7,516 37,909 36,084 5.1

 New Orders.............................. 6,848 7,415 10,113 -7.6 -26.7 15.3 5,175 6,711 4,876 37,163 32,608 14.0

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 no

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, whic

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(05), "Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: 1992-2005

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; vendin

laundry, and other machinery; photographic equipment; metalworking machinery; turbines and generators; other power transmission equipment; pumps and compressors; material handling equipment; a

other machinery; electronic computers; computer storage devices; other computer peripheral equipment; communications equipment; search and navigation equipment; electromedical, measuring, an

control instruments; electrical equipment; other electrical equipment, appliances, and components; heavy duty trucks; aircraft; railroad rolling stock; ships and boats; office and institutional furniture; an

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 equipme

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 separatel
 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

May Apr Mar Apr - Mar - Feb - May Apr May 2006/

2006 2 2006 r 2006 May 2 Apr r Mar 2006 2 2006 r 2005 2005

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 611,271 607,532 598,726 0.6 1.5 3.0 616,409 615,397 511,753 20.5

 Total Inventories....................... 279,657 278,656 275,685 0.4 1.1 1.0 282,619 280,702 273,304 3.4

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 290,013 287,382 284,002 0.9 1.2 1.8 294,552 292,657 257,339 14.5

 Total Inventories....................... 214,197 213,505 211,416 0.3 1.0 1.0 216,651 215,123 208,630 3.8

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 473,254 468,200 458,333 1.1 2.2 3.4 476,454 472,388 366,890 29.9

 Total Inventories....................... 260,480 259,656 256,643 0.3 1.2 1.0 263,465 261,707 254,169 3.7

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 611,271 607,532 598,726 0.6 1.5 3.0 616,409 615,397 511,753 20.5

 Total Inventories....................... 217,452 216,651 214,263 0.4 1.1 0.8 219,692 218,262 212,252 3.5

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 27,071 26,617 25,777 1.7 3.3 0.6 27,361 27,200 20,854 31.2

 Total Inventories....................... 26,923 26,499 26,026 1.6 1.8 0.3 27,052 26,632 26,094 3.7

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 50,736 50,327 49,372 0.8 1.9 0.8 52,199 51,124 45,351 15.1

 Total Inventories....................... 35,331 35,266 34,982 0.2 0.8 0.5 35,876 35,815 35,465 1.2

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 68,012 66,605 65,748 2.1 1.3 1.5 69,643 68,619 56,960 22.3

 Total Inventories....................... 44,950 44,564 44,248 0.9 0.7 1.1 45,301 44,785 43,028 5.3

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 111,152 111,443 111,543 -0.3 -0.1 3.5 111,961 113,127 105,223 6.4

 Total Inventories....................... 44,219 44,275 43,664 -0.1 1.4 2.9 44,719 44,238 42,137 6.1

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 4,211 4,234 4,346 -0.5 -2.6 0.5 4,211 4,234 4,366 -3.6

 Total Inventories....................... 4,158 4,118 4,210 1.0 -2.2 1.5 4,312 4,057 4,544 -5.1

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 33,307 33,819 34,903 -1.5 -3.1 4.2 33,877 34,656 33,901 -0.1

 Total Inventories....................... 10,088 10,414 10,093 -3.1 3.2 -1.9 10,179 10,411 10,013 1.7

 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......................... 20,829 20,333 19,634 2.4 3.6 0.5 21,072 20,539 16,257 29.6

 Total Inventories....................... 13,122 13,266 13,216 -1.1 0.4 1.0 13,530 13,665 12,835 5.4

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 321,258 320,150 314,724 0.3 1.7 4.0 321,857 322,740 254,414 26.5

 Total Inventories....................... 65,460 65,151 64,269 0.5 1.4 0.8 65,968 65,579 64,674 2.0

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 18,488 18,463 17,854 0.1 3.4 1.9 18,485 18,940 15,447 19.7

 Total Inventories....................... 23,624 23,597 23,398 0.1 0.9 -0.1 23,815 23,861 24,141 -1.4 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 189,940 187,104 180,626 1.5 3.6 6.5 188,801 186,364 118,568 59.2

 Total Inventories....................... 22,633 22,690 21,992 -0.3 3.2 1.1 22,959 22,802 21,569 6.4

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 45,077 45,776 46,948 -1.5 -2.5 -0.1 46,080 47,190 45,454 1.4

 Total Inventories....................... 11,720 11,490 11,453 2.0 0.3 0.7 11,708 11,483 11,179 4.7

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 12,213 12,057 11,928 1.3 1.1 -2.5 12,316 12,048 12,694 -3.0

 Total Inventories....................... 49,652 49,635 49,280 0.0 0.7 0.2 50,173 49,988 49,071 2.2

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 439,842 437,030 431,056 0.6 1.4 3.1 442,476 442,073 365,107 21.2

 Total Inventories....................... 122,737 122,856 122,098 -0.1 0.6 0.8 123,950 123,326 119,276 3.9

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 314,415 310,553 303,935 1.2 2.2 3.7 315,441 312,394 232,685 35.6

 Total Inventories....................... 108,424 108,545 107,652 -0.1 0.8 0.8 109,648 109,013 104,632 4.8

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 149,627 148,302 147,521 0.9 0.5 1.7 152,181 151,329 134,550 13.1

 Total Inventories................... 91,203 91,253 90,759 -0.1 0.5 0.7 92,309 91,691 88,780 4.0

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 125,427 126,477 127,121 -0.8 -0.5 1.8 127,035 129,679 132,422 -4.1

 Total Inventories....................... 14,313 14,311 14,446 0.0 -0.9 1.0 14,302 14,313 14,644 -2.3

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.