EL7.AI
Macro EconomyMedium•3 November 2026•
3 min read

U.S. Factory Orders Rise 1.8% to $677.2 Billion in September

Key Facts

1Orders for manufactured goods rose 1.8% to $677.2 billion in September.
2Industrial shipments increased 1.3% to $668.5 billion in September.
3Unfilled orders rose 0.9% to $1,623.8 billion.
4Job openings were 7.5 million in September and were little changed.

U.S. factory orders rose 1.8% in September, or $12.2 billion, to $677.2 billion, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released on November 3. The increase followed a 0.3% rise in August, marking stronger monthly growth in the September reading. The report covers new orders for manufactured goods, as well as shipments, unfilled orders and inventories. The bureau had scheduled the full September report for release at 10:00 a.m. That placed the orders data among the leading U.S. factory activity indicators released that day.

Industrial shipments rose 1.3% to $668.5 billion in September, after a modest 0.1% increase in August, the data showed. The Census Bureau said shipments increased in 11 of the past 12 months, putting the latest gain in a prolonged upward trend. Shipments reflect goods delivered during the month, while new orders measure purchase orders recorded by factories. Unfilled orders rose 0.9% to $1,623.8 billion, compared with a 0.6% increase in August. The ratio of unfilled orders to shipments was 6.84 in September, down from 6.86 the previous month.

On inventories, factories recorded a monthly increase of 0.4%, bringing the total value to $976.0 billion in September. Inventories had risen 0.5% in August, a faster pace than in the following month. Inventories continued to climb for 12 consecutive months, the Census Bureau said. The inventories-to-shipments ratio fell to 1.46 from 1.47 in August. The reading puts inventory growth alongside gains in shipments and orders, with a slight decline in the ratio comparing stocks to deliveries.

Durable goods orders rose 1.8% to $345.4 billion in September in the advance estimate released on October 27, following a 0.1% increase in August. Durable goods orders excluding transportation rose 0.5%, while those excluding defense increased 2.2%. These figures show subcomponents of total orders and do not alone represent the full factory report. In a labor market report released on November 3, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said job openings were "little changed" at 7.5 million in September. Hires totaled 5.4 million, while total separations from employment were 5.3 million.

The detailed JOLTS data table put job openings at 7,523 thousand in September, compared with 7,190 thousand in August. Hires rose to 5,402 thousand from 5,271 thousand the previous month. Quits also increased to 3.4 million, while layoffs and discharges were little changed at 1.6 million. The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines job openings as positions vacant on the last business day of the month, while hires and separations data cover changes recorded throughout the month. The October JOLTS report is scheduled for release on December 1, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time, while the bureau's schedule lists November 6 for the October nonfarm payrolls report.