New Orders For Factory-Made Goods See Steepest Drop In Three Years

[Purveyor]

Source: LA Times

Demand for manufactured products posted its largest decline in three years in March, according to a government report released the day after several private reports found major gains in U.S. factory activity.

The Commerce Department said that new orders slumped 1.5%, falling $7.1 billion to $460.5 billion, after growing 1.1% in February. That's the steepest drop since March 2009.

Demand for transportation equipment suffered the most dramatic plunge, diving 12.6%. Strong auto sales earlier in the year cooled off last month as vstmakers such as Hyundai, Kia and Nissan watched their previously double-digit gains shrink.

Without transportation, new orders overall were flat. Durable goods -- products designed to last at least three years -- saw demand drop 0.8%.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-new-factory-orders-20120502,0,5781069.story

[xchrom]

1. du rec. nt

[Iliyah]

2. Oh my Gawd

LA Times, phew, what a paper, NOT

OK, get congress to approve job creation by, hmmmmmmmm, repairing the infrastructure here in the US?

[Amonester]

4. "get congre$$ to" do what??

THAT teaRoari$t-led house™???

Although we wish...

[rsmith6621]

3. They Are Prepping Us For Dissapointing Numbers on Friday

Thats all...

[lib2DaBone]

5. $4 gas kicks in.. right on schedule.

[BadgerKid]

7. Speaking of which....8 year gas chart

We may be six weeks or so away from peak prices.

[shraby]

6. The drop just might indicate that consumers are tired of buying defective goods

from other countries. I know the appliances we've bought lately can't hold a candle to the ones I bought in the 1960s/1970s. They are just simply junk along side of what was.
Even the revered old Singer sewing machines have become junk. I liked my old Singer treadle machine that was probably 40 years old when I got it used. It worked better than the new electric Singer I bought in the 1960s.
The only reason I bought an electric was because it could do zigzag stitches and I had 3 boys who created situations where a zigzag stitch would fix the tears.

The Maytag washer and dryer set I had lasted about 16 years. The only reason I got rid of them was because we had to go on the road for my husband's job.
The next ones I bought were old used ones which held up better than the new set I bought a few years ago.
I'll never buy Maytag again..their stuff is junk anymore.
Now just why would purchases of "durable" goods go down? Because those goods aren't durable anymore.

[GeorgeGist]

8. n=1

Isn't a trend.

[Egalitarian Thug]

9. Summer, 2008. K&R n/t

[DallasNE]

10. Can't Put That Much Stock In A Single Month

When you look a both February and March combined it doesn't look nearly as bad suggesting something about the reporting calendar had an impact. Also note that the last steep decline was also in a March so seasonal factors could be at play as well. Now, it the trend continues in April it would start to be a concern. Also, transportation is very volitile although that is usually aircraft related. Just need to wait another month before getting too excited.

[progressivebydesign]

14. the massive tornados that hit an unprecedentedly large area of the US, definitely contributed. n/t

[madrchsod]

11. around my part of northern il we have jobs

new and hired back. temp to full time, welders,assembly,and front office personal. the factory my daughter works just hired a supervisor from colorado.

[Dawson Leery]

12. Factory growth shows strength

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-05/D9UG3VL00.htm

[progressivebydesign]

13. Hate to ruin things for the Eyore crowd..

but.. what exactly was going on in March? Oh yes.. tornadoes of massive proportions across a HUGE swath of the Country, and other weather of biblical proportions.