November 10th, 2008
Economic and Social Research Institute,Cabinet Office

Explanation of Orders Received for Machinery

1. The total value of machinery orders received by 280 manufacturers operating in Japan fell by 3.0% in September from the previous month on a seasonally adjusted basis. In the July-September period it decreased by 10.1% compared with the previous quarter.
   Private-sector machinery orders, excluding volatile ones for ships and those from electric power companies, rose a seasonally adjusted by 5.5% in September, and showed decreased of 10.4% in the July-September period.
   

2. In the October-December period the total amount of machinery orders was forecasted to fall by 3.1% and private-sector orders, excluding volatile ones, were forecasted to increase by 1.2% from the previous quarter respectively. This forecast was basically made by summing up the figures from 280 machinery manufacturers.
   

(( References ))

Chart-1 Total Value of Machinery Orders; Chart-2 Private Sector (exc. Volatile Orders)

Table-1 Machinery Orders by Sectors

Table-2 Percentage Change by Industrial Classification in Private Sector