New orders for manufactured goods in October increased $1.0 billion or 0.3 percent to $337.2 billion, the Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census reported today. This follows a 0.4 percent September increase and is the fifth consecutive monthly increase. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.6 percent, the first decrease since May. Year to date, new orders are 5.1 percent above the same period a year ago.

Shipments decreased $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent to $335.2 billion, following a 1.6 percent September increase. This is the second decrease in the last three months and the fourth this year. Year to date, shipments are 5.8 percent above the same period a year ago.

Unfilled orders, up five of the last six months, increased $2.1 billion or 0.4 percent to $530.0 billion, following a 0.2 percent September increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 2.81, up from 2.78 in September.

Inventories, up fifteen of the last sixteen months, increased $2.0 billion or 0.4 percent to $451.1 billion, following a 0.2 percent September increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.35, up from 1.34 in September.

				Oct	Sep	Aug
				1997(p)	1997(r) 1997 
Shipments
All manufacturing industries	344,791	357,830	331,637
New Orders
All manufacturing industries	337,243	336,264	335,040
w/o defense capital goods	332,312	330,815	329,733
Durable goods industries	185,950	186,210	186,195
Nondurable goods industries	151,293	150,054	148,845
Unfilled Orders
All manufacturing industries	529,986	527,931	527,033
Inventories
All manufacturing industries	451,143	449,152	448,447

				Sep-	Aug- 	Jul-
				Oct(p)	Sep(r)	Aug
Shipments
All manufacturing industries	—0.1	+1.6	—0.8
New Orders
All manufacturing industries	+0.3	+0.4	+1.2
w/o defense capital goods	+0.5	+0.3	+1.4
Durable goods industries	—0.1	 0.0	+2.5
Nondurable goods industries	+0.8	+0.8	—0.4
Unfilled Orders
All manufacturing industries	+0.4	+0.2	+0.9
Inventories
All manufacturing industries	+0.4	+0.2	+0.4

(p)–Prelimary.

(r)–Revised.

December 5, 1997 U.S. Department of Commerce

Statistics

12/02 CHICAGO BOT DELIVERABLE GRAIN STOCKS

12/02 REDBOOK RETAIL AVERAGES Retail Sales Index

12/04 UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

12/01 U.S. EXPORT INSPECTIONS

12/04 EXPORT SALES REPORT

12/01 NAPM REPORT ON BUSINESS

12/02 COMPOSITE INDEXES OF LEADING, COINCIDENT, AND LAGGING OCTOBER 1997

12/02 OUTLOOK FOR U.S. AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS

12/01 OCTOBER 1997 CONSTRUCTION AT $605.5 BILLION ANNUAL RATE

12/04 HOUSING COMPLETIONS SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

12/03 OCTOBER 1997 NEW HOUSING SALES AT ANNUAL RATE OF 797,000

12/04 PRODUCTIVITY AND COSTS Third Quarter 1997

12/05 THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION NOVEMBER 1997

12/05 MANUFACTURERS' SHIPMENTS INVENTORIES AND ORDERS OCTOBER 1997

Consensus National Futures and Financial On Line Index

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