WASHINGTON - New orders for manufactured goods decreased $2.1 billion, or 0.5%, to $465.8 billion in June, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
The June decline followed a revised increase of 0.5% in May, originally reported as a 0.7% increase.
Excluding transportations, orders fell 1.8%. In May, orders ex-transportation were flat.
Shipments in June, which declined two of the past three months, decreased by $5.3 billion during the period, a 1.1% slip, to $469.9 billion.
But new orders of manufactured durable goods increased in June by $2.9 billion to $220.7 billion, a 1.3% gain. Driving the increases were orders for transportation equipment, which jumped $5.1 billion to $68.7 billion, an 8% hike.
Unfilled orders also increased in June, climbing $3.4 billion, or 0.3%, to $988.1 billion, after two months of declines.
Inventories also increased, up $400 million, or 0.1%, to $605.4 billion during the period. Inventories had declined in both of the previous two months.
