New orders for manufactured durable goods in September decreased $0.3 billion or 0.1 percent to $227.3 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease, down following two consecutive monthly increases, followed a 0.3 percent August increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.2 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 0.7 percent. Transportation equipment, also down following two consecutive monthly increases, drove the decrease, $0.6 billion or 0.8 percent to $77.5 billion.

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in September, up three of the last four months, increased $2.0 billion or 0.8 percent to $234.5 billion. This followed a virtually unchanged August decrease.

Nondefense new orders for capital goods in September increased $1.0 billion or 1.5 percent to $68.2 billion. Shipments increased $1.5 billion or 2.2 percent to $71.8 billion. Unfilled orders decreased $3.6 billion or 0.5 percent to $692.8 billion. Inventories increased $0.5 billion or 0.3 percent to $170.4 billion.