New orders for manufactured goods increased 1.2% to $586.1 billion in August, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Wednesday. This followed a 2.1% July decrease.
New orders for manufactured durable goods, up five of the last six months, edged up 0.1% to $284.7 billion in August. Fabricated metal products led the increase, up $0.2 billion (0.6%) to $36.0 billion. New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased 2.1% for the month. Excluding transportation, new orders for manufactured goods increased 1.4% for the month.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in August increased 0.5% to $284.6 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods increased for the third consecutive month, rising 2.1% to $301.4 billion in August.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in August increased 0.2% to $523.4 billion.
Read the Census release.
