U.S. manufacturing declines 13 percent in April
Slide follows an 11 percent decrease in March.
The U.S. Census Bureau announces the April full report on manufacturers’ shipments,
inventories and orders:
Summary
New orders for manufactured goods in April, down three of the last four months, decreased $57.5 billion or 13.0 percent to $384.3 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed an 11.0 percent March decrease.
Shipments, down four consecutive months, decreased $63.6 billion or 13.5 percent to $406.8 billion. This followed a 5.5 percent March decrease.
Unfilled orders, down two consecutive months, decreased $17.6 billion or 1.6 percent to $1,107.6 billion. This followed a 2.1 percent March decrease. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 7.62, up from 6.70 in March.
Inventories, down four consecutive months, decreased $2.6 billion or 0.4 percent to $686.5 billion. This followed a 1.1 percent March decrease. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.69, up from 1.46 in March.
New Orders
New orders for manufactured durable goods in April, down three of the last four months, decreased $36.3 billion or 17.7 percent to $168.7 billion, down from the previously published 17.2 percent decrease. This followed a 16.7 percent March decrease. Transportation equipment, also down three of the last four months, led the decrease, $24.3 billion or 48.3 percent to $26.1 billion. New orders for manufactured nondurable goods decreased $21.2 billion or 9.0 percent to $215.6 billion.
Shipments
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, down three of the last four months, decreased $42.4 billion or 18.2 percent to $191.2 billion, down from the previously published 17.7 percent decrease. This followed a 5.5 percent March decrease. Transportation equipment, also down three of the last four months, led the decrease, $31.7 billion or 43.1 percent to $41.8 billion.
Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, down four consecutive months, decreased $21.2 billion or 9.0 percent to $215.6 billion. This followed a 5.4 percent March decrease. Petroleum and coal products, also down four consecutive months, led the decrease, $11.9 billion or 32.0 percent to $25.4 billion.
Unfilled Orders
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in April, down two consecutive months, decreased $17.6 billion or 1.6 percent to $1,107.6 billion, unchanged from the previously published decrease. This followed a 2.1 percent March decrease. Transportation equipment, also down two consecutive months, led the decrease, $15.7 billion or 2.0 percent to $759.6 billion.
Inventories
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, up two consecutive months, increased $0.6 billion or 0.2 percent to $425.3 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a 0.5 percent March increase.
Transportation equipment, up twenty-one of the last twenty-two months, led the increase, $0.4 billion or 0.3 percent to $143.0 billion. Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, down four consecutive months, decreased $3.2 billion or 1.2 percent to $261.2 billion. This followed a 3.5 percent March decrease.
Petroleum and coal products, also down four consecutive months, drove the decrease, $3.7 billion or 12.1 percent to $27.1 billion.
By stage of fabrication, April materials and supplies increased 2.3 percent in durable goods and decreased 1.2 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process decreased 0.7 percent in durable goods and 1.5 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods decreased 1.2 percent in durable goods and 1.1 percent in nondurable goods.
CONTRACTOR SUPPLY MAGAZINE
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