Manufacturers New Orders for Consumer Goods and Materials
Overview
Manufacturers’ new orders for consumer goods and materials is one of the 10 parts of The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index. It measures the dollar value of new orders received by US manufacturers, from a monthly Census Bureau survey.
Key Insights
Economic Signalling: Rising orders indicate strengthened production capacity ahead and signal economic vitality. Declining orders, conversely, may foreshadow manufacturing slowdowns and economic contraction risks.
Recession Indicator: A sustained downward trajectory in new orders frequently precedes broader economic weakness. As manufacturers adjust to weakening demand, production scaling typically follows, potentially triggering recessionary conditions.