Manufacturing Declines In March

New orders, shipments, unfulfilled orders and inventories all declined in March, the Census Bureau reported today.

Here are the numbers:

• New orders decreased 0.8 percent – after increasing in Feb.
• Shipments decreased 1.5 percent – down 8 consecutive months
• Unfilled orders fell 1.5 percent – down 6 consecutive months
• Inventories of manufactured durable goods fell 1.3 percent – down 3 consecutive months

In contrast, inventories of manufactured nondurable goods increased 0.2 percent, with petroleum and coal products driving the increase.

May 1, 2009