FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2005, AT 8:30 A.M. EST 

Chris Savage or Patrick Kent 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1(05)-10 

CB05-169

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

October 2005 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

October increased $7.1 billion or 3.4 percent to $214.4 

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

followed a 2.0 percent September decrease. Excluding 

transportation, new orders increased 0.3 percent. 

Excluding defense, new orders increased 1.7 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up two of the last three 

months, had the largest increase, $6.6 billion or 11.4 

percent to $65.1 billion. This was led by defense aircraft 

and parts, which increased $4.1 billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in October, 

up two of the last three months, increased $2.9 billion or 

1.4 percent to $212.7 billion. This was at the highest 

level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis 

in 1992 and followed a slight September decrease. 

 Transportation equipment, up two of the last three 

months, had the largest increase, $1.1 billion or 2.0 

percent to $59.3 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

October, up six consecutive months, increased $8.8 

billion or 1.5 percent to $603.5 billion. This was at the 

highest level since the series began and followed a 0.8 

percent September increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up six consecutive months, 

had the largest increase, $5.8 billion or 2.0 percent to 

$299.8 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in October, 

up three of the last four months, increased $1.1 billion or 

0.4 percent to $283.3 billion. This followed a 0.1 

percent September increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up three of the last four 

months, had the largest increase, $0.9 billion or 1.4 

percent to $66.9 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in October 

increased $4.5 billion or 6.7 percent to $71.9 billion. 

Shipments increased $2.8 billion or 4.4 percent to $67.3 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $4.6 billion or 1.5 

percent to $312.2 billion. Inventories decreased $0.2 

billion or 0.2 percent to $112.5 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in October 

increased $3.5 billion or 52.8 percent to $10.1 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.2 billion or 2.7 percent to $7.8 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $2.3 billion or 1.7 

percent to $134.7 billion. Inventories increased $0.2 

billion or 1.4 percent to $15.6 billion. 

Revised September Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted September figures for all 

manufacturing industries are: new orders, $390.8 billion 

(revised from $390.0 billion); shipments, $393.3 billion 

(revised from $393.0 billion); unfilled orders, $594.8 

billion (revised from 594.1 billion); and total 

inventories, $463.3 billion (revised from $462.7 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 December 6, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. EST. 

The advance report on durable goods for November is scheduled for release on December 23, 2005, at 8:30 a.m. EST. 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

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

2005 2 2005 r 2005 Oct 2 Sep r Aug 2005 2 2005 r 2004 2005 2004 05/04

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments................................ 212,697 209,748 209,844 1.4 0.0 2.4 216,438 226,367 203,080 2,072,242 1,955,164 6.0

 New Orders4.............................. 214,393 207,286 211,602 3.4 -2.0 3.9 216,515 219,074 194,887 2,050,938 1,915,833 7.1

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 153,440 151,631 151,008 1.2 0.4 1.9 154,437 162,792 143,747 1,496,637 1,378,838 8.5

 New Orders4.............................. 149,334 148,869 149,199 0.3 -0.2 5.1 149,915 157,111 137,742 1,449,883 1,337,320 8.4

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 203,436 200,294 200,343 1.6 0.0 2.3 207,435 216,088 194,148 1,980,643 1,864,117 6.3

 New Orders4

.............................. 202,862 199,384 203,378 1.7 -2.0 4.2 205,802 211,271 184,207 1,971,453 1,824,304 8.1

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 145,207 141,878 143,159 2.3 -0.9 3.0 146,081 152,303 135,812 1,408,000 1,308,929 7.6

 New Orders4

.............................. 153,962 146,659 152,384 5.0 -3.8 5.1 153,243 153,002 134,742 1,457,204 1,336,512 9.0

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 16,159 15,868 15,470 1.8 2.6 3.4 16,362 16,188 15,394 158,216 144,070 9.8

 New Orders.............................. 17,089 17,232 16,637 -0.8 3.6 11.4 16,607 17,226 14,039 159,093 146,912 8.3

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 24,340 24,182 23,988 0.7 0.8 2.3 25,311 25,366 23,851 241,275 227,282 6.2

 New Orders.............................. 25,017 25,146 24,934 -0.5 0.9 6.1 25,567 25,719 24,417 246,646 233,483 5.6

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 26,934 26,624 26,381 1.2 0.9 2.4 26,896 27,681 24,773 262,595 239,448 9.7

 New Orders.............................. 27,807 27,233 27,179 2.1 0.2 3.9 27,953 27,584 25,392 269,260 244,897 9.9

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments................................ 37,417 37,074 37,751 0.9 -1.8 3.1 36,014 42,504 34,299 362,095 328,298 10.3

 New Orders4.............................. 30,321 30,719 31,963 -1.3 -3.9 6.6 29,133 35,206 28,060 298,533 268,982 11.0

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 8,411 7,936 8,417 6.0 -5.7 4.0 8,436 9,422 8,017 81,140 64,620 25.6

 New Orders.............................. 8,042 8,178 8,760 -1.7 -6.6 13.5 8,067 9,664 7,494 80,597 64,045 25.8 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 5,910 5,902 5,869 0.1 0.6 3.2 5,437 6,691 5,083 55,261 52,302 5.7

 New Orders.............................. 6,064 5,700 6,316 6.4 -9.8 1.6 5,965 6,715 7,207 58,215 54,967 5.9

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments................................ 7,059 7,243 7,467 -2.5 -3.0 2.9 7,085 7,992 7,123 70,508 66,914 5.4

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 9,963 9,740 9,796 2.3 -0.6 2.6 9,958 10,820 8,958 94,996 88,532 7.3

 New Orders.............................. 9,991 10,352 10,377 -3.5 -0.2 7.6 10,201 11,154 8,954 97,756 90,344 8.2

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 59,257 58,117 58,836 2.0 -1.2 3.4 62,001 63,575 59,333 575,605 576,326 -0.1

 New Orders.............................. 65,059 58,417 62,403 11.4 -6.4 1.1 66,600 61,963 57,145 601,055 578,513 3.9

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 42,816 43,348 42,502 -1.2 2.0 2.7 46,338 47,312 44,961 420,833 429,189 -1.9

 New Orders.............................. 43,047 44,014 42,559 -2.2 3.4 2.0 46,357 47,553 44,167 421,477 429,711 -1.9 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 7,456 5,427 7,002 37.4 -22.5 6.2 6,903 5,772 5,572 63,566 56,941 11.6

 New Orders.............................. 11,005 7,315 12,514 50.4 -41.5 5.4 9,874 7,315 4,344 98,665 61,711 59.9

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 3,483 3,766 3,824 -7.5 -1.5 14.0 3,393 4,267 3,493 36,096 37,758 -4.4

 New Orders.............................. 6,999 2,912 2,993 140.4 -2.7 13.2 6,467 2,814 2,813 29,801 30,011 -0.7

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 38,627 38,143 37,622 1.3 1.4 -0.4 39,896 40,233 36,472 377,460 351,208 7.5

 New Orders.............................. 39,109 38,187 38,109 2.4 0.2 0.9 40,454 40,222 36,880 378,595 352,702 7.3

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 75,096 72,469 74,368 3.6 -2.6 3.8 73,565 79,388 67,723 720,934 659,456 9.3

 New Orders.............................. 81,944 73,974 80,621 10.8 -8.2 3.3 80,363 78,873 69,082 761,746 677,528 12.4

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 67,269 64,426 66,437 4.4 -3.0 3.7 65,933 70,783 59,933 643,450 580,307 10.9

 New Orders.............................. 71,850 67,366 73,722 6.7 -8.6 4.0 70,880 72,483 59,050 693,939 595,650 16.5

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 62,657 61,501 61,924 1.9 -0.7 2.3 61,830 67,805 57,362 609,234 552,538 10.3

 New Orders.......................... 63,799 62,963 64,054 1.3 -1.7 3.9 63,789 68,078 57,482 623,169 562,561 10.8

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 7,827 8,043 7,931 -2.7 1.4 4.7 7,632 8,605 7,790 77,484 79,149 -2.1

 New Orders.............................. 10,094 6,608 6,899 52.8 -4.2 -3.6 9,483 6,390 10,032 67,807 81,878 -17.2

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(04), "Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: 1992-2004

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

Oct Sep Aug Sep - Aug - Jul - Oct Sep Oct 2005/

2005 2 2005 r 2005 Oct 2 Sep r Aug 2005 2 2005 r 2004 2004

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 603,514 594,759 589,978 1.5 0.8 1.6 592,770 585,608 529,144 12.0

 Total Inventories....................... 283,313 282,247 282,007 0.4 0.1 -0.3 284,029 281,065 271,387 4.7

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 303,764 300,811 296,330 1.0 1.5 1.9 298,707 296,144 272,282 9.7

 Total Inventories....................... 216,398 216,277 216,284 0.1 0.0 -0.1 216,382 214,923 207,713 4.2

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 457,240 450,755 444,422 1.4 1.4 2.4 450,775 445,323 377,929 19.3

 Total Inventories....................... 263,888 263,064 263,147 0.3 0.0 -0.2 264,556 261,781 252,929 4.6

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 603,514 594,759 589,978 1.5 0.8 1.6 592,770 585,608 529,144 12.0

 Total Inventories....................... 219,284 218,751 218,034 0.2 0.3 -0.5 219,870 217,885 210,530 4.4

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 22,412 21,482 20,118 4.3 6.8 6.2 21,363 21,118 20,274 5.4

 Total Inventories....................... 23,917 23,959 24,160 -0.2 -0.8 -0.9 23,743 23,741 21,960 8.1

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 47,940 47,263 46,299 1.4 2.1 2.1 47,181 46,925 41,862 12.7

 Total Inventories....................... 36,641 36,614 36,736 0.1 -0.3 -0.8 36,296 36,279 34,924 3.9

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 83,085 82,212 81,603 1.1 0.7 1.0 81,265 80,208 73,581 10.4

 Total Inventories....................... 47,379 47,615 47,560 -0.5 0.1 0.5 47,344 47,359 43,737 8.2

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 117,246 117,283 116,395 0.0 0.8 1.5 115,697 115,493 107,211 7.9

 Total Inventories....................... 45,197 44,917 44,781 0.6 0.3 -0.1 45,848 44,749 46,193 -0.7

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 5,874 6,243 6,001 -5.9 4.0 6.1 5,874 6,243 5,707 2.9

 Total Inventories....................... 5,269 5,430 5,410 -3.0 0.4 2.3 5,386 5,409 5,235 2.9

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 38,646 38,492 38,694 0.4 -0.5 1.2 38,179 37,651 35,424 7.8

 Total Inventories....................... 10,036 9,732 9,951 3.1 -2.2 0.0 10,217 9,669 11,011 -7.2

 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......................... 18,160 18,132 17,520 0.2 3.5 3.4 18,171 17,928 15,763 15.3

 Total Inventories....................... 12,870 12,818 12,680 0.4 1.1 0.0 12,721 12,519 12,210 4.2

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 299,750 293,948 293,648 2.0 0.1 1.2 294,063 289,464 256,862 14.5

 Total Inventories....................... 66,915 65,970 65,723 1.4 0.4 -0.8 67,647 66,142 63,674 6.2

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 16,633 16,402 15,736 1.4 4.2 0.4 15,914 15,895 14,838 7.3

 Total Inventories....................... 24,592 24,077 24,480 2.1 -1.6 0.5 24,678 24,163 23,589 4.6 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 159,401 155,852 153,964 2.3 1.2 3.7 157,685 154,714 114,169 38.1

 Total Inventories....................... 22,474 22,237 21,843 1.1 1.8 -2.2 22,976 22,271 22,001 4.4

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 50,619 47,103 47,957 7.5 -1.8 -1.7 49,102 46,028 56,116 -12.5

 Total Inventories....................... 11,818 11,535 11,299 2.5 2.1 -2.4 11,908 11,603 10,603 12.3

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 14,921 14,439 14,395 3.3 0.3 3.5 15,030 14,472 13,591 10.6

 Total Inventories....................... 50,394 50,354 50,367 0.1 0.0 0.2 50,430 50,276 48,689 3.6

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 446,834 439,986 438,481 1.6 0.3 1.4 439,256 432,458 385,600 13.9

 Total Inventories....................... 128,061 128,017 127,137 0.0 0.7 0.2 128,845 127,568 122,543 5.1

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 312,176 307,595 304,655 1.5 1.0 2.4 308,453 303,506 247,973 24.4

 Total Inventories....................... 112,480 112,657 112,078 -0.2 0.5 0.5 113,306 112,175 107,380 5.5

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 173,168 172,026 170,564 0.7 0.9 1.3 170,886 168,927 155,181 10.1

 Total Inventories................... 94,236 94,496 94,322 -0.3 0.2 0.4 94,625 93,920 89,859 5.3

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 134,658 132,391 133,826 1.7 -1.1 -0.8 130,803 128,952 137,627 -5.0

 Total Inventories....................... 15,581 15,360 15,059 1.4 2.0 -1.3 15,539 15,393 15,163 2.5

See footnotes at end of Table 1 
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 4,000 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 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 4,000 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 4,000 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. 

Additional survey documentation can be found on our web site: http://www.census.gov/m3.

2006 Release Dates for M3 Survey

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

Nov 2005 January 4, 2006 

Dec 2005 January 26, 2006 February 3, 2006 

Jan 2006 February 24, 2006 March 6, 2006 

Feb 2006 March 24, 2006 March 31, 2006 

Mar 2006 April 26, 2006 May 3, 2006 

Apr 2006 May 24, 2006 June 2, 2006 

May 2006 June 23, 2006 July 5, 2006 

Jun 2006 July 27, 2006 August 3, 2006 

Jul 2006 August 24, 2006 August 31, 2006 

Aug 2006 September 27, 2006 October 4, 2006 

Sep 2006 October 26, 2006 November 2, 2006

Oct 2006 November 28, 2006 December 5, 2006

Nov 2006 December 22, 2006