[Economic Indicators April, 1997]
[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 1.4 percent and 
inventories rose $3.5 billion. According to advance data, retail sales 
rose 0.1 percent in March following a rise of 1.5 percent in February. 
(Data revised for wholesale and retail trade.)
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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 r..............................................    595,049     874,096    161,681     215,878    172,732     64,677     108,055    267,497    133,624    133,873          1.45         1.51
1994 r..............................................    637,236     931,228    172,973     234,893    185,610     72,784     112,826    290,128    149,840    140,288          1.41         1.50
1995 r..............................................    679,725     989,160    188,811     253,066    193,670     77,085     116,585    303,750    159,767    143,983          1.43         1.55
1996 r..............................................    715,435   1,007,913    201,723     255,808    203,775     82,778     120,997    314,183    165,997    148,186          1.40         1.52
                                                                                                                                                                                                
,1996:Mar r.........................................    699,894     992,905    197,334     254,151    201,914     82,647     119,267    303,341    159,151    144,190          1.42         1.50
      Apr r.........................................    709,602     997,426    199,431     257,329    202,168     81,534     120,634    304,656    160,029    144,627          1.41         1.51
      May r.........................................    715,106     996,035    200,038     256,601    203,865     83,011     120,854    305,214    160,631    144,583          1.39         1.50
      June r........................................    711,718     996,284    200,078     256,739    202,789     82,394     120,395    305,677    161,138    144,539          1.40         1.51
      July r........................................    719,945   1,000,699    204,254     256,467    203,291     82,531     120,760    309,786    163,433    146,353          1.39         1.52
      Aug r.........................................    717,775   1,003,397    201,892     256,598    203,036     82,487     120,549    311,112    164,862    146,250          1.40         1.53
      Sept r........................................    723,292   1,004,457    203,419     254,788    204,713     83,091     121,622    312,969    166,530    146,439          1.39         1.53
      Oct r.........................................    726,774   1,009,086    204,987     255,671    206,277     83,871     122,406    315,281    168,146    147,135          1.39         1.53
      Nov r.........................................    728,898   1,008,711    205,561     255,850    205,789     83,485     122,304    313,490    165,865    147,625          1.38         1.52
      Dec r.........................................    727,732   1,007,913    205,560     255,808    206,894     83,785     123,109    314,183    165,997    148,186          1.39         1.52
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1997:Jan r .........................................    736,237   1,011,894    207,506     257,895    210,233     85,344     124,889    313,980    165,441    148,539          1.37         1.49
      Feb p.........................................    746,609   1,015,430    211,801     258,088  r 213,389   r 88,193   r 125,196    315,434    166,598    148,836          1.36         1.48
      Mar p.........................................    744,659  ..........    209,876     259,887    213,634     87,980     125,654  .........  .........  ..........  .............  .........
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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.--Retail series revised 
beginning 1993; wholesale sales 
revised beginning 1994 and 
inventories beginning 1995 to 
reflect annual benchmarking and 
seasonal adjustment revisions. Total 
manufacturing and trade data reflect 
the revisions.
    Source: Department of Commerce, 
Bureau of the Census.