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



 
BUSINESS SALES AND INVENTORIES--Manufacturing and Trade

In January, manufacturing and trade sales fell 0.8 percent and 
inventories rose $5.2 billion. According to advance data, retail sales 
rose 0.8 percent in February following a decline of 0.1 percent in 
January. (Data for retail trade revised.)
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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
1993r...............................................    593,125     861,219    161,681     215,878    172,924     64,795     108,129    267,916    133,949    133,967          1.44         1.51
1994r...............................................    639,292     918,113    172,521     235,701    185,936     73,042     112,894    290,602    150,441    140,161          1.39         1.50
1995r...............................................    681,664     977,047    186,676     255,641    195,068     78,018     117,050    302,879    160,363    142,516          1.41         1.54
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1995:Janr...........................................    673,528     928,852    182,641     238,399    193,097     76,544     116,553    294,349    153,400    140,949          1.38         1.52
      Febr..........................................    674,726     935,848    185,056     240,365    191,114     75,644     115,470    295,757    154,373    141,384          1.39         1.55
      Marr..........................................    674,630     942,576    183,207     243,462    192,986     76,864     116,122    297,033    155,992    141,041          1.40         1.54
      Aprr..........................................    672,315     951,952    184,597     246,867    192,425     76,046     116,379    299,407    158,360    141,047          1.42         1.56
      Mayr..........................................    678,067     956,367    186,244     247,702    194,730     77,413     117,317    300,376    158,454    141,922          1.41         1.54
      Juner.........................................    682,264     960,340    187,472     249,813    196,080     78,329     117,751    300,516    158,057    142,459          1.41         1.53
      Julyr.........................................    675,171     964,524    186,232     253,060    195,465     78,006     117,459    299,041    156,810    142,231          1.43         1.53
      Augr..........................................    686,940     968,863    187,203     253,017    196,716     79,527     117,189    302,700    159,326    143,374          1.41         1.54
      Septr.........................................    689,227     973,539    188,303     254,063    196,644     78,711     117,933    303,299    160,195    143,104          1.41         1.54
      Octr..........................................    687,108     979,793    188,517     256,134    196,193     79,160     117,033    306,224    162,165    144,059          1.43         1.56
      Novr..........................................    692,349     980,300    190,709     255,449    197,914     80,296     117,618    307,265    163,243    144,022          1.42         1.55
      Decr..........................................    699,209     977,047    194,198     255,641    199,104     80,852     118,252    302,879    160,363    142,516          1.40         1.52
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1996:Janp...........................................    693,271     982,266    192,997     257,548    198,857     80,295     118,562    303,401    160,526    142,875          1.42         1.53
      Febp..........................................  .........  ..........  .........  ..........    200,506     81,450     119,056  .........  .........  ..........  .............  .........
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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.

    Note.--Seasonally adjusted 
retail sales and inventories (and 
therefore total manufacturing and 
trade sales and inventories) revised 
beginning 1993 to reflect annual 
benchmarking and other revisions.
    Source: Department of Commerce, 
Bureau of the Census.