[Economic Indicators March, 1997]
[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 rose 1.1 percent and 
inventories rose $3.2 billion. According to advance data, retail sales 
rose 0.8 percent in February following a rise of 1.5 percent in January.
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                                                        Manufacturing and          Wholesale                                      Retail                                  Inventory-sales ratio 
                                                            trade \1\       -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------            \4\          
                                                     -----------------------                                    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                                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                        
1987................................................    457,735     709,846    122,968     163,903    128,442     47,989      80,453    207,836    105,481    102,355          1.50         1.55
1988................................................    497,157     767,226    134,521     178,801    138,017     52,430      85,587    219,047    112,453    106,594          1.49         1.54
1989................................................    527,039     815,486    143,760     187,009    146,581     54,763      91,818    237,234    121,347    115,887          1.52         1.58
1990................................................    545,909     840,428    149,506     195,550    153,718     55,736      97,981    239,773    121,105    118,668          1.52         1.55
1991................................................    542,815     834,281    148,306     200,062    154,661     54,165     100,497    243,275    119,039    124,236          1.53         1.54
1992................................................    567,176     842,137    154,150     207,663    162,632     58,634     103,999    251,994    122,948    129,046          1.48         1.52
1993................................................    595,240     874,515    161,681     215,878    172,924     64,795     108,129    267,916    133,949    133,967          1.45         1.51
1994................................................    637,561     931,702    172,973     234,893    185,936     73,042     112,894    290,602    150,441    140,161          1.41         1.50
1995................................................    679,700     990,163    187,387     254,963    195,068     78,018     117,050    302,856    160,481    142,375          1.43         1.54
1996 r..............................................    715,186   1,009,741    199,799     258,106    205,451     83,936     121,514    313,713    167,115    146,598          1.40         1.51
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1996:Jan r..........................................    690,498     994,821    192,681     256,185    199,132     80,556     118,576    303,912    160,866    143,046          1.44         1.53
      Feb...........................................  r 698,656     996,008    194,053     255,569  r 202,840   r 83,043   r 119,797    304,824    161,575    143,249        r 1.43         1.50
      Mar...........................................    700,253     994,010    195,379     256,444    204,228     84,108     120,120    302,153    159,659    142,494          1.42         1.48
      Apr...........................................    709,541     998,430    197,507     259,592    204,031     82,794     121,237    303,397    160,490    142,907          1.41         1.49
      May...........................................    715,130     996,984    198,258     258,834    205,669     84,053     121,616    303,930    161,156    142,774          1.39         1.48
      June..........................................    711,760     997,322    198,543     259,262    204,366     83,472     120,894    304,192    161,489    142,703          1.40         1.49
      July..........................................    719,176   1,002,404    202,057     259,100    204,719     83,539     121,180    308,858    164,086    144,772          1.39         1.51
      Aug...........................................    717,532   1,005,435    200,086     258,822    204,599     83,536     121,063    310,926    166,282    144,644          1.40         1.52
      Sept .........................................    722,691   1,006,430    201,404     256,959    206,127     84,189     121,938    312,771    167,916    144,855          1.39         1.52
      Oct...........................................    725,787   1,011,261    202,790     257,770    207,487     84,881     122,606    315,357    169,830    145,527          1.39         1.52
      Nov...........................................    728,804   1,010,916    203,932     257,929    207,324     84,604     122,720    313,616    167,534    146,082          1.39         1.51
      Dec r.........................................    727,432   1,009,741    203,835     258,106    208,319     84,945     123,374    313,713    167,115    146,598          1.39         1.51
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1997:Jan p .........................................    735,744   1,012,981    205,790     260,801  r 211,456   r 86,179   r 125,277    312,161    165,523    146,638          1.38         1.48
      Feb p.........................................  .........  ..........  .........  ..........    213,175     87,595     125,580  .........  .........  ..........  .............  .........
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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.