New orders for manufactured durable goods in May decreased $5.3 billion or 2.2 percent, to $230.7 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced.  This decrease, down following two consecutive monthly increases, followed a 3.3 percent April increase.  Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.3 percent.  Excluding defense, new orders decreased 0.9 percent.

Transportation equipment, also down following two consecutive monthly increases, led the decrease, $4.8 billion or 5.6 percent to $81.9 billion.  

The revised seasonally adjusted April figure for all manufacturing industries for new orders was $460.1 billion, revised from $460.5 billion.