Durable Goods Orders Inched Up 0.2% in December

Washington, DC, January 27, 2021-New orders for manufactured durable goods in December increased $0.4 billion or 0.2% to $245.3 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced. This increase, up eight consecutive months, followed a 1.2% November increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.7%. Excluding defense, new orders increased 0.5%. Machinery, also up eight consecutive months, drove the increase, $0.8 billion or 2.4% to $33.2 billion.

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in December, up seven of the last eight months, increased $3.5 billion or 1.4% to $253.8 billion. This followed a 0.4% November increase. Transportation equipment, also up seven of the last eight months, led the increase, $2.2 billion or 2.7% to $84.8 billion.

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in December, down nine of the last ten months, decreased $3.2 billion or 0.3% to $1,070.4 billion. This followed a virtually unchanged November decrease. Transportation equipment, down ten consecutive months, drove the decrease, $6.8 billion or 0.9% to $706.3 billion.