Chris Savage or Jessica Young
Manufacturing and Construction Division
(301) 763-4832

New orders for manufactured goods in May, up three
of the last four months, increased $4.1 billion or 1.2
percent to $347.9 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau
reported today. This followed a 0.5 percent April
increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased
0.8 percent.

Shipments, down ten consecutive months, decreased
$3.1 billion or 0.9 percent to $353.3 billion. This was
the longest streak of consecutive monthly decreases
since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in
1992 and followed a 0.5 percent April decrease.

Unfilled orders, down eight consecutive months,
decreased $1.8 billion or 0.2 percent to $747.3 billion.
This was the longest streak of consecutive monthly
decreases since November 2001-July 2002. This
followed a 1.1 percent April decrease. The unfilled
orders-to-shipments ratio was 6.15, up from 6.04 in
April.

Inventories, down nine consecutive months, decreased
$3.2 billion or 0.6 percent to $513.3 billion. This was
the longest streak of consecutive monthly decreases
since March 2003-January 2004 and followed a 1.2
percent April decrease. The inventories-to-shipments
ratio was 1.45, unchanged from April.

New orders for manufactured durable goods in May,
up three of the last four months, increased $2.9 billion or
1.8 percent to $163.4 billion, unchanged from the
previously published increase. This followed a 1.4
percent April increase.

Transportation equipment, up three of the last four
months, had the largest increase, $1.5 billion or 3.8
percent to $42.3 billion.

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in May,
down ten consecutive months, decreased $4.3 billion or
2.5 percent to $168.9 billion, revised from the previously
published 2.1 percent decrease. This also was the
longest streak of consecutive monthly decreases since

Transportation equipment, down two consecutive months, had the largest decrease, $2.8 billion or 6.2 percent to $42.2 billion.

Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, up
following three consecutive monthly decreases,
increased $1.2 billion or 0.7 percent to $184.5 billion.
This followed a 0.2 percent April decrease. This
increase was due to petroleum and coal products, which
increased $2.5 billion or 8.3 percent to $32.3 billion.

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in
May, down eight consecutive months, decreased $1.8
billion or 0.2 percent to $747.3 billion, revised from the
previously published 0.3 percent decrease. This
followed a 1.1 percent April decrease.

Machinery, down eight consecutive months, had the
largest decrease, $0.9 billion or 1.0 percent to $87.6
billion.

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in May,
down five consecutive months, decreased $3.3 billion or
1.0 percent to $322.1 billion, revised from the previously
published 0.8 percent decrease. This followed a 1.2
percent April decrease.

Primary metals, down eight consecutive months, had the largest decrease, $0.9 billion or 3.1 percent to $27.1 billion.

Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, up
following eight consecutive monthly decreases,
increased slightly to $191.2 billion. This followed a 1.1
percent April decrease. Petroleum and coal products
drove the increase, up $0.7 billion or 3.0 percent to
$25.2 billion.

By stage of fabrication, May materials and supplies
decreased 1.7 percent in durable goods and increased 0.3
percent in nondurable goods. Work in process decreased
0.2 percent in durable goods and increased 0.2 percent in
nondurable goods. Finished goods decreased 1.4 percent
in durable goods and 0.3 percent in nondurable goods.

Note: 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. Further details on survey design, methodology, and data limitations are contained in our most recent annual benchmark publication,
Current Industrial Reports: M3-3(07), "Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: 2004-2007."