[Economic Indicators February, 1996]
[Page Number 20]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 
BUSINESS SALES AND INVENTORIES--Manufacturing and Trade

In December, manufacturing and trade sales rose 1.0 percent and 
inventories fell $2.4 billion. According to advance data, retail sales 
fell 0.3 percent in January following a rise of 0.6 percent in December.
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                                                        Manufacturing and          Wholesale                                      Retail                                Inventory-sales ratio\4\
                                                             trade\1\       -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                         
                                                     -----------------------                                    Sales\2\                       Inventories\3\          -------------------------
                       Period                                                                      --------------------------------------------------------------------                         
                                                                   Inven-     Sales\2\    Inven-                Durable   Nondurable              Durable   Nondurable  Manufacturing           
                                                       Sales\2\   tories\3\              tories\3\    Total      goods       goods      Total      goods       goods     and trade\1\    Retail 
                                                                                                                 stores     stores                 stores     stores                            
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(9)Millions of dollars, seasonally adjusted, except                                                                                                                                             
 as noted                                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                        
1986................................................    430,419     662,753    114,960     153,574    120,803     45,057      75,746    186,510     89,983     96,527          1.55         1.56
1987................................................    457,735     709,814    122,968     163,903    128,442     47,989      80,453    207,836    105,481    102,355          1.50         1.55
1988................................................    496,079     765,270    134,521     178,801    138,017     52,430      85,587    219,047    112,453    106,594          1.49         1.54
1989................................................    523,065     811,154    143,760     187,009    146,581     54,763      91,818    237,234    121,347    115,887          1.52         1.58
1990................................................    542,682     834,391    149,506     195,550    153,718     55,736      97,981    239,773    121,105    118,668          1.52         1.55
1991................................................    538,485     829,685    148,306     200,062    154,661     54,165     100,497    243,275    119,039    124,236          1.54         1.54
1992................................................    561,293     838,895    154,150     207,663    162,632     58,634     103,999    251,994    122,948    129,046          1.49         1.52
1993................................................    593,076     860,979    161,681     215,878    172,875     64,795     108,080    267,676    133,709    133,967          1.44         1.51
1994................................................    639,770    r918,319    172,521    r235,701    186,414     73,369     113,045   r290,808   r149,815   r140,993          1.39         1.50
1995p...............................................   r682,256     978,299   r186,676     255,641   r195,660    r78,414    r117,246    304,131    160,388    143,743          1.41         1.54
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1994:Decr...........................................    670,067     918,319    182,257     235,701    191,757     76,608     115,149    290,808    149,815    140,993          1.37         1.52
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1995:Janr...........................................    673,634     928,799    182,641     238,399    193,203     76,704     116,499    294,296    152,754    141,542          1.38         1.52
      Feb...........................................    675,480     936,091    185,056     240,365    191,868     76,138     115,730    296,000    153,826    142,174          1.39         1.54
      Mar...........................................    674,797     942,743    183,207     243,462    193,153     76,978     116,175    297,200    155,530    141,670          1.40         1.54
      Apr...........................................    672,912     952,235    184,597     246,867    193,022     76,549     116,473    299,690    157,958    141,732          1.42         1.55
      May...........................................    678,444     956,516    186,244     247,702    195,107     77,533     117,574    300,525    157,842    142,683          1.41         1.54
      June..........................................    682,958     960,157    187,472     249,813    196,774     78,835     117,939    300,333    157,109    143,224          1.41         1.53
      July..........................................    675,776     964,894    186,232     253,060    196,070     78,446     117,624    299,411    156,320    143,091          1.43         1.53
      Aug...........................................    687,610     968,658    187,203     253,017    197,386     79,940     117,446    302,495    158,276    144,219          1.41         1.53
      Sept..........................................    689,804     973,482    188,303     254,063    197,221     79,103     118,118    303,242    159,205    144,037          1.41         1.54
      Oct...........................................    687,650     980,267    188,517     256,134    196,735     79,458     117,277    306,698    161,745    144,953          1.43         1.56
      Novr..........................................    692,867     980,701    190,709     255,449    198,432     80,524     117,908    307,666    162,588    145,078          1.42         1.55
      Decp..........................................   r699,799     978,299   r194,198    r255,641   r199,694    r81,108    r118,586    304,131    160,388    143,743          1.40         1.52
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1996:Janp...........................................    695,225  ..........    192,997     257,548    199,062     80,285     118,777  .........  .........  ..........  .............  .........
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    \1\See page 21 for 
manufacturing.
    \2\Annual data are averages of 
monthly not seasonally adjusted 
figures; monthly data are seasonally 
adjusted totals for month.
    \3\Seasonally adjusted, end of 
period.
    \4\Annual data are averages of 
seasonally adjusted monthly ratios.

    Source: Department of Commerce, 
Bureau of the Census.