New orders for manufactured goods in August, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased $56.1 billion or 10.1 percent to $502.0 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 10.5 percent July increase. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.1 percent. Shipments, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased $5.0 billion or 1.0 percent to $503.1 billion. This followed a 1.4 percent July increase. Unfilled orders, up sixteen of the last seventeen months, increased $7.0 billion or 0.6 percent to $1,164.5 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 5.3 percent July increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 6.71, up from 6.62 in July. Inventories, up twenty-one of the last twenty-two months, increased $0.8 billion or 0.1 percent to $653.9 billion. This was also at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis and followed a slight July increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.30, up from 1.29 in July.  New Orders. New orders for manufactured durable goods in August, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased $55.1 billion or 18.4 percent to $244.8 billion, revised from the previously published 18.2 percent decrease. This followed a 22.5 percent July increase. Transportation equipment, also down following two consecutive monthly increases, drove the decrease, $55.8 billion or 42.2 percent to $76.5 billion. New orders for manufactured nondurable goods decreased $1.0 billion or 0.4 percent to $257.2 billion.  Shipments. Shipments of manufactured durable goods in August, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased $4.0 billion or 1.6 percent to $245.9 billion, revised from the previously published 1.5 percent decrease. This followed a 3.7 percent July increase. Transportation equipment, also down following two consecutive monthly increases, led the decrease, $3.9 billion or 5.1 percent to $72.5 billion. Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, down three of the last four months, decreased $1.0 billion or 0.4 percent to $257.2 billion. This followed a 0.8 percent July decrease. Petroleum and coal products, down two consecutive months, led the decrease, $1.0 billion or 1.4 percent to $69.3 billion.  Unfilled Orders. Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in August, up sixteen of the last seventeen months, increased $7.0 billion or 0.6 percent to $1,164.5 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis and followed a 5.3 percent July increase. Transportation equipment, up eleven of the last twelve months, led the increase, $4.0 billion or 0.5 percent to $741.8 billion.  Inventories. Inventories of manufactured durable goods in August, up sixteen of the last seventeen months, increased $1.7 billion or 0.4 percent to $403.1 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis and followed a 0.4 percent July increase. Transportation equipment, also up sixteen of the last seventeen months, led the increase, $0.6 billion or 0.4 percent to $129.9 billion. Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, down three consecutive months, decreased $0.9 billion or 0.3 percent to $250.8 billion. This followed a 0.7 percent July decrease. Petroleum and coal products, also down three consecutive months, drove the decrease, $0.9 billion or 1.8 percent to $47.5 billion. By stage of fabrication, August materials and supplies increased 0.1 percent in durable goods and decreased 0.7 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process increased 0.7 percent in durable goods and 0.6 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods increased 0.4 percent in durable goods and decreased 0.5