Durable goods orders reach all-time high

New orders for manufactured durable goods in December increased $2.8 billion or 1.3 percent to $228.1 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This was at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 5.4 percent November increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.9 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 0.8 percent.

Machinery, up five consecutive months, had the largest increase, $1.9 billion or 6.5 percent to $30.5 billion. This was at the highest level since the series began.

For all of 2005, orders increased by 8.2 percent to an all-time high of $2.51 trillion. Durable goods orders rose by 10 percent in 2004 and 4.2 percent in 2003 after declining in 2002 and 2001.

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