Manufacturing & Production
Industrial production, capacity utilization, factory orders, capital-goods shipments, and electricity generation — the hard data on whether the productive economy is expanding. Sourced live from the Fed G.17, Census M3 (via FRED), BLS CPI, and the EIA.
Latest data …
Industrial Production — Index Level
Index 2017=100, SA — total industrial production and manufacturing
Source: Federal Reserve G.17 — INDPRO (total) and IPMAN (manufacturing, NAICS).
Source: Federal Reserve G.17 — industrial production, total / manufacturing / mfg ex. motor vehicles.
Source: Federal Reserve G.17 — total industrial production index.
Source: Federal Reserve G.17 — TCU (total) and MCUMFN (manufacturing).
U.S. Factory Orders — Monthly % Change
Manufacturers' new orders, SA — total / core / durable / core durable / nondurable / core capex orders & shipments
Source: U.S. Census Bureau M3 via FRED. Core capex = nondefense capital goods ex aircraft — orders (NEWORDER) and shipments (ANXAVS).
Advance Durable Goods — New Orders
Census M3 advance report, SA, MoM % — Defense on right axis at a fixed 3:1 scale
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Advance Report on Durable Goods (M3). DGORDER / ADXTNO / ADXDNO / NEWORDER / ANXAVS, Defense (ADEFNO) on a 3:1 right axis.
Value of Shipments — Capital Goods
Manufacturers' value of shipments, SA, MoM % — nondef. ex aircraft = "core capex"
Source: U.S. Census Bureau M3 via FRED.
Core Capital Goods — Shipments vs. New Orders
Nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft, value of shipments and new orders, $ billions, SA — data since 1992; gray bands = NBER recessions
Source: U.S. Census Bureau M3 via FRED — ANXAVS (shipments), NEWORDER (new orders). Orders lead shipments by roughly 1–3 months.