New orders for manufactured durable goods in May decreased $1.4 billion or 0.6 percent to $248.8 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease, down two consecutive months, followed a 1.0 percent April decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.3 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 1.5 percent. Transportation equipment, also down two consecutive months, led the decrease, $0.9 billion or 1.0 percent to $86.1 billion.

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in May, down following nine consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent to $246.9 billion. This followed a virtually unchanged April increase. Transportation equipment, down two consecutive months, drove the decrease, $0.5 billion or 0.6 percent to $82.1 billion.