U.S. durable goods orders declined by 14 percent in March 2020, a level higher than the 11.9 percent predicted.  This decline compares to a rise of 1.2 percent in February.

The Commerce Department announced that new orders for U.S. manufactured capital goods rose only 0.1 percent in March. Data for February was revised to a to a decline of 0.8 percent from the previously announced 0.9 percent.

Orders for capital goods generally precede increased manufacturing capacity in future months. The almost static value suggests that manufacturers do not anticipate an increase in either domestic or export demand. The sharp drop in purchase of durables can be attributed to the unprecedented increase in the unemployment rate.