New Orders
New orders for manufactured durable goods in December increased $5.7 billion or 2.4 percent to $245.5 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This increase, up two of the last three months, followed a 3.1 percent November decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.1 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 2.5 percent. Transportation equipment, up following three consecutive monthly decreases, drove the increase, $5.9 billion or 7.6 percent to $82.9 billion.

Shipments
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in December, down six consecutive months, decreased $0.5 billion or 0.2 percent to $250.4 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent November decrease. Transportation equipment, also down six consecutive months, led the decrease, $0.4 billion or 0.4 percent to $83.2 billion.

Unfilled Orders
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in December, down three of the last four months,decreased $0.8 billion or 0.1 percent to $1,156.0 billion. This followed a 0.6 percent November decrease. Machinery, down fourteen consecutive months, led the decrease, $0.5 billion or 0.5 percent to $101.6 billion.

Inventories
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in December, up seventeen of the last eighteen months, increased $2.2 billion or 0.5 percent to $436.0 billion. This followed a 0.4 percent November increase. Transportation equipment, also up seventeen of the last eighteen months, led the increase, $1.7 billion or 1.2 percent to $151.2 billion.

Capital Goods
Nondefense new orders for capital goods in December decreased $4.5 billion or 6.5 percent to $64.5 billion. Shipments increased $0.4 billion or 0.5 percent to $74.8 billion. Unfilled orders decreased $10.3 billion or 1.5 percent to $671.6 billion. Inventories increased $2.2 billion or 1.1 percent to $199.2 billion. Defense new orders for capital goods in December increased $9.1 billion or 90.2 percent to $19.2 billion. Shipments decreased $0.3 billion or 2.5 percent to $12.4 billion. Unfilled orders increased $6.8 billion or 4.3 percent to $165.0 billion. Inventories decreased $0.3 billion or 1.3 percent to $24.0 billion.

Revised November Data
Revised seasonally adjusted November figures for all manufacturing industries were: new orders, $490.6 billion (revised from $493.0 billion); shipments, $501.7 billion (revised from $502.2 billion); unfilled orders, $1,156.7 billion (revised from $1,158.7 billion) and total inventories, $701.1 billion (revised from $701.0 billion).