Unlike the 0.9% decrease in April, factory orders increased 0.8% in May, the Commerce Department reported on July 5.
The value of the new orders for manufactured goods was $445.3 billion up $3.5 billion.
Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.2%. Transportation equipment, also up two of the last three months, had the largest increase, $2.9 billion or 6.3% to $49.9 billion.
Shipments, up eight of the last nine months, increased $0.4 billion or 0.1% to $443.9 billion. This followed a 0.4% decrease in April.p>
Unfilled orders, up thirteen of the last fourteen months, increased $7.7 billion or 0.9% to $860.9 billion. This followed a 0.6% April increase
Inventories, up nineteen of the last twenty months, increased $4.5 billion or 0.8% to $593.0 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.5 % April increase.
