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



 
BUSINESS SALES AND INVENTORIES--Manufacturing and Trade

In February, manufacturing and trade sales rose 1.1 percent and 
inventories rose $1.1 billion. According to advance data, retail sales 
rose 0.1 percent in March following a rise of 1.9 percent in February. 
(Data for wholesale 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
1993................................................    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...............................................    639,744     917,305    172,973     234,893    185,936     73,042     112,894    290,602    150,441    140,161          1.39         1.50
1995r...............................................    682,375     976,022    187,387     254,616    195,068     78,018     117,050    302,879    160,363    142,516          1.40         1.54
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1995:Febr...........................................    675,047     935,012    185,456     239,785    191,035     75,629     115,406    295,501    154,155    141,346          1.39         1.55
      Marr..........................................    675,345     941,779    183,928     242,665    192,980     76,845     116,135    297,033    155,992    141,041          1.39         1.54
      Aprr..........................................    672,997     951,338    185,279     246,253    192,425     76,046     116,379    299,407    158,360    141,047          1.41         1.56
      Mayr..........................................    678,682     955,683    186,859     247,018    194,730     77,413     117,317    300,376    158,454    141,922          1.41         1.54
      Juner.........................................    683,082     959,452    188,290     248,925    196,080     78,329     117,751    300,516    158,057    142,459          1.40         1.53
      Julyr.........................................    676,094     963,361    187,155     251,897    195,465     78,006     117,459    299,041    156,810    142,231          1.42         1.53
      Augr..........................................    687,690     968,055    187,953     252,209    196,716     79,527     117,189    302,700    159,326    143,374          1.41         1.54
      Septr.........................................    689,798     972,587    188,874     253,111    196,644     78,711     117,933    303,299    160,195    143,104          1.41         1.54
      Octr..........................................    688,234     978,397    189,643     254,738    196,193     79,160     117,033    306,224    162,165    144,059          1.42         1.56
      Novr..........................................    693,214     979,578    191,574     254,727    197,914     80,296     117,618    307,265    163,243    144,022          1.41         1.55
      Decr..........................................    699,912     976,022    194,901     254,616    199,104     80,852     118,252    302,879    160,363    142,516          1.39         1.52
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1996:Janr...........................................    693,424     981,945    192,878     256,258    199,129     80,623     118,506    304,370    161,316    143,054          1.42         1.53
      Febp..........................................    701,059     983,040    194,353     255,756   r202,894    r83,078    r119,816    305,081    161,687    143,394          1.40         1.50
      Marp..........................................  .........  ..........  .........  ..........    203,044     83,045     119,999  .........  .........  ..........  .............  .........
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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.--Wholesale trade data (and 
therefore total manufacturing and 
trade data) have been revised to 
reflect annual benchmarking and 
other revisions. Sales were revised 
beginning 1993; inventories, 
beginning 1994.
    Source: Department of Commerce, 
Bureau of the Census.