U.S. FACTORY ORDERS FELL 4.0 PCT IN JANUARY
New orders for manufactured goods
fell 8.2 billion dlrs, or 4.0 pct, in January to a seasonally
adjusted 194.5 billion dlrs, the Commerce Department said.
    It was the largest one month decrease in orders since a 4.5
pct drop in May, 1980, the department said.
    Excluding defense orders, factory orders fell 5.2 pct in
January after a 4.8 pct December rise.
    The department revised December factory orders upward to an
increase of 1.6 pct from 1.2 pct.
    The new orders decline in January was concentrated in
durable goods, where orders fell 7.4 billion dlrs, or 6.7 pct,
to 103 billion dlrs. The department had estimated on February
26 that January durable goods orders fell 7.5 pct.
    Orders for non-durables in January fell 700 mln dlrs, or
0.8 pct, to 91.5 billion dlrs.
    These figures compared with a December increase in durables
orders of 1.5 pct and a 1.7 pct rise in non-durables.
    Defense orders rose 2.2 billion dlrs, or 49.7 pct, in
January after falling 57.7 pct in December, the department
said.
    Orders for non-defense capital goods fell 17 pct in January
after increasing by 5.7 pct in December.
    Within major industry categories, orders declines were
widespread, the department said.
    Electrical machinery orders fell 19.8 pct, or 3.6 billion
dlrs, after a 9.5 pct increase in December.
    Primary metals orders fell 17.7 pct, or 1.9 billion dlrs,
following a 12.1 pct increase in December.
    Orders for transportation equipment were down 4.5 pct in
January after falling 0.6 pct in December.
    Orders for non-electrical machinery were down 6.1 pct in
January after falling by 7.1 pct in December.
    Manufacturers' shipments fell 3.8 pct, or 7.8 billion dlrs,
to a total 196.7 billion dlrs. The department said it was the
largest one month fall in shipments since a 5.1 pct drop in
December, 1974.
    Unfilled orders fell 0.6 pct, or 2.2 billion dlrs, to a
total 363 billion dlrs.
    Factory inventories in January rose 0.5 pct, or 1.5 billion
dlrs, to 277.0 billion dlrs, only the second rise since July
and concentrated in finished goods.
 Reuter
