FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2005, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Patrick Kent 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1(05)-09 

CB05-156

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

September 2005 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

September decreased $4.4 billion or 2.1 percent to 

$207.0 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced 

today. This followed a 3.8 percent August increase. 

Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 1.0 

percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 2.1 

percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, down three of the last four 

months, had the largest decrease, $2.9 billion or 4.7 

percent to $59.3 billion. This was led by nondefense 

aircraft and parts, which decreased $5.2 billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in 

September, up four of the last five months, increased 

$0.2 billion or 0.1 percent to $209.9 billion. This was at 

the highest level since the series was first stated on a 

NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 2.3 percent August 

increase. 

 Machinery, up four of the last five months, had the 

largest increase, $0.5 billion or 1.8 percent to $26.8 

billion. This was at the highest level since the series 

began. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

September, up five consecutive months, increased $4.3 

billion or 0.7 percent to $594.3 billion. This was at the 

highest level since the series began and followed a 1.6 

percent August increase. 

 Computers and electronic products, up five 

consecutive months, had the largest increase, $1.0 billion 

or 0.9 percent to $117.4 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in 

September, down three of the last four months, 

decreased $0.3 billion or 0.1 percent to $281.9 billion. 

This followed a 0.2 percent August decrease. 

 Primary metals, down four consecutive months, had 

the largest decrease, $0.2 billion or 0.7 percent to $24.0 

billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in September 

decreased $6.0 billion or 8.1 percent to $67.8 billion. 

Shipments decreased $1.5 billion or 2.2 percent to $64.9 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $2.9 billion or 0.9 

percent to $307.7 billion. Inventories increased $0.7 

billion or 0.6 percent to $112.7 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in September 

decreased 0.4 percent to $6.9 billion. Shipments 

increased $0.1 billion or 1.5 percent to $8.1 billion. 

Unfilled orders decreased $1.2 billion or 0.9 percent to 

$132.7 billion. Inventories increased $0.3 billion or 1.7 

percent to $15.3 billion. 

Revised August Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted August figures for all 

manufacturing industries are: new orders, $396.3 billion 

(revised from $395.2 billion); shipments, $394.5 billion 

(revised from $393.5 billion); unfilled orders, unchanged 

at $590.0 billion; and total inventories, $463.6 billion 

(revised from $463.7 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 November 3, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. 

EST. The advance report on durable goods for October is scheduled for release on November 29, 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

Sep Aug Jul Aug - Jul - Jun - Sep Aug Sep Change

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

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments................................ 209,893 209,660 205,013 0.1 2.3 -0.7 226,556 214,386 214,061 1,855,701 1,752,084 5.9

 New Orders4.............................. 207,027 211,454 203,708 -2.1 3.8 -5.4 218,991 212,337 205,778 1,834,042 1,720,946 6.6

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 151,554 150,944 148,120 0.4 1.9 -0.7 162,709 153,453 152,350 1,341,978 1,235,091 8.7

 New Orders4.............................. 147,771 149,265 142,010 -1.0 5.1 -3.7 156,084 148,936 146,405 1,298,947 1,199,578 8.3

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 200,425 200,157 195,909 0.1 2.2 -0.6 216,249 205,227 204,245 1,773,073 1,669,969 6.2

 New Orders4

.............................. 198,875 203,222 195,169 -2.1 4.1 -5.0 211,173 206,478 196,513 1,765,251 1,640,097 7.6

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 141,993 142,881 138,969 -0.6 2.8 -1.0 152,510 144,915 143,891 1,261,733 1,173,117 7.6

 New Orders4

.............................. 146,291 152,132 144,922 -3.8 5.0 -7.2 152,771 150,351 143,050 1,303,331 1,201,770 8.5

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 15,792 15,468 14,956 2.1 3.4 -1.6 16,164 15,992 15,594 141,830 128,676 10.2

 New Orders.............................. 16,710 16,631 14,932 0.5 11.4 0.4 16,780 16,874 15,011 142,040 132,873 6.9

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 24,171 23,989 23,455 0.8 2.3 -1.8 25,397 25,476 24,454 215,971 203,431 6.2

 New Orders.............................. 24,619 24,912 23,501 -1.2 6.0 -4.3 25,237 25,912 23,522 220,575 209,066 5.5

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 26,809 26,331 25,752 1.8 2.2 -0.3 27,935 26,025 26,117 235,893 214,675 9.9

 New Orders.............................. 27,491 27,219 26,162 1.0 4.0 -7.2 27,843 26,491 25,903 241,582 219,505 10.1

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments................................ 36,960 37,757 36,621 -2.1 3.1 -0.4 42,096 36,306 38,756 325,671 293,999 10.8

 New Orders4.............................. 30,822 31,987 29,994 -3.6 6.6 -6.5 35,074 29,152 34,315 269,266 240,922 11.8

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 7,924 8,417 8,095 -5.9 4.0 0.0 9,360 7,781 8,335 72,642 56,603 28.3

 New Orders.............................. 8,166 8,760 7,718 -6.8 13.5 -8.7 9,602 8,124 8,892 72,468 56,551 28.1 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 5,988 5,893 5,686 1.6 3.6 -2.7 6,797 5,531 5,980 49,930 47,219 5.7

 New Orders.............................. 5,996 6,340 6,215 -5.4 2.0 -6.6 7,038 4,900 7,754 52,573 47,760 10.1

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments................................ 7,164 7,457 7,258 -3.9 2.7 6.6 7,826 7,485 7,442 63,257 59,791 5.8

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 9,711 9,772 9,545 -0.6 2.4 1.0 10,865 10,011 10,029 85,043 79,574 6.9

 New Orders.............................. 10,035 10,402 9,644 -3.5 7.9 -1.2 10,962 10,576 10,036 87,390 81,390 7.4

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 58,339 58,716 56,893 -0.6 3.2 -0.6 63,847 60,933 61,711 513,723 516,993 -0.6

 New Orders.............................. 59,256 62,189 61,698 -4.7 0.8 -9.1 62,907 63,401 59,373 535,095 521,368 2.6

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 43,323 42,374 41,366 2.2 2.4 0.3 47,258 45,309 45,138 374,288 384,228 -2.6

 New Orders.............................. 44,340 42,349 41,708 4.7 1.5 1.1 48,026 45,075 45,120 375,289 385,544 -2.7 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 5,570 7,005 6,596 -20.5 6.2 -3.0 5,973 6,479 6,814 56,864 51,369 10.7

 New Orders.............................. 7,301 12,505 11,878 -41.6 5.3 -21.4 7,406 12,475 6,454 88,882 57,367 54.9

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 3,779 3,824 3,354 -1.2 14.0 -8.1 4,270 3,656 3,987 32,706 34,265 -4.5

 New Orders.............................. 2,888 2,993 2,643 -3.5 13.2 -4.6 2,805 2,039 2,127 23,325 27,198 -14.2

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 38,111 37,627 37,791 1.3 -0.4 -0.7 40,252 39,643 37,400 337,570 314,736 7.3

 New Orders.............................. 38,094 38,114 37,777 -0.1 0.9 -0.7 40,188 39,931 37,618 338,094 315,822 7.1

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 72,986 74,319 71,659 -1.8 3.7 -1.8 80,005 72,523 74,710 647,889 591,733 9.5

 New Orders.............................. 74,695 80,711 78,044 -7.5 3.4 -8.6 79,465 76,022 76,124 682,021 608,446 12.1

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 64,935 66,386 64,085 -2.2 3.6 -1.2 71,374 64,769 66,360 578,007 520,374 11.1

 New Orders.............................. 67,818 73,804 70,886 -8.1 4.1 -7.6 73,052 71,120 67,856 623,670 536,600 16.2

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 61,796 61,870 60,550 -0.1 2.2 -1.0 68,199 60,694 63,071 547,697 495,176 10.6

 New Orders.......................... 63,377 64,145 61,679 -1.2 4.0 -3.9 68,564 61,377 64,793 559,908 505,079 10.9

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 8,051 7,933 7,574 1.5 4.7 -6.3 8,631 7,754 8,350 69,882 71,359 -2.1

 New Orders.............................. 6,877 6,907 7,158 -0.4 -3.5 -17.8 6,413 4,902 8,268 58,351 71,846 -18.8

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

Sep Aug Jul Aug - Jul - Jun - Sep Aug Sep 2005/

2005 2 2005 r 2005 Sep 2 Aug r Jul 2005 2 2005 r 2004 2004

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 594,302 590,004 580,753 0.7 1.6 1.0 585,164 584,903 530,214 10.4

 Total Inventories....................... 281,884 282,169 282,815 -0.1 -0.2 0.8 280,829 284,982 267,162 5.1

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 299,831 296,450 290,672 1.1 2.0 0.4 295,179 293,978 271,164 8.9

 Total Inventories....................... 215,962 216,410 216,550 -0.2 -0.1 0.7 214,617 218,394 203,868 5.3

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 450,056 444,442 433,920 1.3 2.4 1.5 444,892 442,142 380,747 16.8

 Total Inventories....................... 262,753 263,311 263,678 -0.2 -0.1 0.8 261,595 265,949 248,763 5.2

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 594,302 590,004 580,753 0.7 1.6 1.0 585,164 584,903 530,214 10.4

 Total Inventories....................... 218,650 218,182 219,143 0.2 -0.4 0.9 217,783 220,151 206,713 5.4

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 21,032 20,114 18,951 4.6 6.1 -0.1 20,696 20,080 21,629 -4.3

 Total Inventories....................... 23,988 24,169 24,387 -0.7 -0.9 -0.9 23,772 24,139 21,069 12.8

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 46,724 46,276 45,353 1.0 2.0 0.1 46,414 46,574 41,296 12.4

 Total Inventories....................... 36,582 36,737 37,040 -0.4 -0.8 -0.4 36,260 36,849 34,600 4.8

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 82,375 81,693 80,805 0.8 1.1 0.5 80,289 80,381 72,962 10.0

 Total Inventories....................... 47,581 47,528 47,334 0.1 0.4 1.7 47,233 47,914 43,207 9.3

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 117,429 116,403 114,716 0.9 1.5 0.6 115,603 114,799 106,327 8.7

 Total Inventories....................... 44,766 44,891 44,840 -0.3 0.1 1.7 44,675 46,100 44,767 -0.2

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 6,243 6,001 5,658 4.0 6.1 -6.2 6,243 6,001 6,230 0.2

 Total Inventories....................... 5,475 5,410 5,290 1.2 2.3 0.2 5,431 5,768 5,140 5.7

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 38,702 38,694 38,247 0.0 1.2 1.4 37,868 37,627 33,300 13.7

 Total Inventories....................... 9,792 9,948 9,951 -1.6 0.0 1.6 9,739 10,153 10,603 -8.1

 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......................... 17,893 17,569 16,939 1.8 3.7 0.6 17,758 17,661 15,767 12.6

 Total Inventories....................... 12,837 12,703 12,684 1.1 0.1 0.0 12,539 12,690 12,097 3.7

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 294,471 293,554 290,081 0.3 1.2 1.7 289,985 290,925 259,050 11.9

 Total Inventories....................... 65,922 65,759 66,265 0.2 -0.8 1.2 66,212 66,588 63,294 4.6

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 16,671 15,654 15,679 6.5 -0.2 2.2 16,271 15,503 15,632 4.1

 Total Inventories....................... 24,058 24,513 24,350 -1.9 0.7 -0.7 24,246 24,768 23,831 1.7 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 155,683 153,952 148,452 1.1 3.7 3.7 154,604 153,171 115,397 34.0

 Total Inventories....................... 22,234 21,844 22,329 1.8 -2.2 3.2 22,277 22,215 21,655 2.9

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 47,066 47,957 48,788 -1.9 -1.7 -1.4 46,016 47,481 56,796 -19.0

 Total Inventories....................... 11,529 11,299 11,571 2.0 -2.4 1.9 11,601 11,390 10,450 11.0

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 14,378 14,395 13,908 -0.1 3.5 -0.1 14,419 14,483 13,183 9.4

 Total Inventories....................... 50,208 50,382 50,265 -0.3 0.2 0.7 50,138 50,702 48,128 4.2

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 440,329 438,620 432,228 0.4 1.5 1.5 432,576 433,116 384,241 12.6

 Total Inventories....................... 128,037 127,127 126,830 0.7 0.2 1.8 127,465 128,910 120,740 5.6

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 307,671 304,788 297,370 0.9 2.5 2.3 303,627 301,949 248,856 22.0

 Total Inventories....................... 112,723 112,070 111,569 0.6 0.4 1.7 112,120 113,769 105,606 6.2

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 172,290 170,709 168,434 0.9 1.4 0.7 169,162 168,797 155,061 9.1

 Total Inventories................... 94,545 94,313 93,937 0.2 0.4 1.5 93,860 95,700 88,267 6.3

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 132,658 133,832 134,858 -0.9 -0.8 -0.3 128,949 131,167 135,385 -4.8

 Total Inventories....................... 15,314 15,057 15,261 1.7 -1.3 2.0 15,345 15,141 15,134 1.4

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), and end-of-month total inventory (at current cost or market value). 

The M3 includes approximately 3,500 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-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 3,500 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 3,500 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/.