FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2010, AT 10:00 A.M. EDT Chris Savage or Jessica Young Manufacturing and Construction Division (301) 763-4832 M3-2 (10)-08 CB10-150 Full Report on Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders August 2010 Summary New orders for manufactured goods in August, down three of the last four months, decreased $2.2 billion or 0.5 percent to $408.9 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 0.5 percent July increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.9 percent. Shipments, also down three of the last four months, decreased $2.5 billion or 0.6 percent to $415.1 billion. This followed a 1.2 percent July increase. Unfilled orders, down following four consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.1 billion to $804.0 billion. This followed a slight July increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 5.59, up from 5.53 in July.
Inventories, up seven of the last eight months, increased $0.7 billion or 0.1 percent to $526.4 billion. This followed a 0.9 percent July increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.27, up from 1.26 in July.
New Orders
New orders for manufactured durable goods in August, down three of the last four months, decreased $2.8 billion or 1.5 percent to $191.9 billion, revised from the previously published 1.3 percent decrease. This followed a 1.2 percent July increase. Transportation equipment, also down three of the last four months, had the largest decrease, $5.3 billion or 10.2 percent to $46.6 billion.
New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased $0.7 billion or 0.3 percent to $217.1 billion.
Shipments
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in August, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased $3.1 billion or 1.6 percent to $198.0 billion, revised from the previously published 1.5 percent decrease. This followed a 2.5 percent July increase. Transportation equipment, also down following two consecutive monthly increases, had the largest decrease, $3.1 billion or 5.8 percent to $49.5 billion. Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, up following four consecutive monthly decreases, increased $0.7 billion or 0.3 percent to $217.1 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent July decrease. Chemical products, up two consecutive months, led the increase, up $0.4 billion or 0.7 percent to $59.2 billion.
Unfilled Orders
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in August, down following four consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.1 billion to $804.0 billion, revised from the previously published 0.1 percent decrease. This followed a slight July increase. Transportation equipment, down four consecutive months, had the largest decrease, $3.0 billion or 0.6 percent to $473.1 billion.
Inventories
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in August, up eight consecutive months, increased $1.3 billion or 0.4 percent to $312.4 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a 0.6 percent July increase.
Transportation equipment, also up eight consecutive months, had the largest increase, $0.6 billion or 0.8 percent to $81.0 billion.
Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, down three of the last four months, decreased $0.7 billion or 0.3 percent to $214.0 billion. This followed a 1.5 percent July increase. Petroleum and coal products, down three of the last four months, drove the decrease, down $1.2 billion or 2.9 percent to $39.2 billion. By stage of fabrication, August materials and supplies decreased 0.1 percent in durable goods and 1.1 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process increased 0.7 percent in durable goods and 0.5 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods increased 0.7 percent in durable goods and decreased 0.1 percent in nondurable goods.
