[Economic Indicators March, 1998]
[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 were about unchanged, while 
inventories rose $0.8 billion. According to advance data, retail sales 
rose 0.5 percent in February, following a rise of 1.0 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                                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                        
1988................................................    497,157     767,222    134,521     178,801    138,017     52,430      85,587    219,047    112,453    106,594          1.49         1.54
1989................................................    527,039     815,455    143,760     187,009    146,581     54,763      91,818    237,234    121,347    115,887          1.52         1.58
1990................................................    545,909     840,396    149,506     195,550    153,718     55,736      97,981    239,773    121,105    118,668          1.52         1.55
1991................................................    542,815     834,287    148,306     200,062    154,661     54,165     100,497    243,275    119,039    124,236          1.53         1.54
1992................................................    567,176     842,204    154,150     207,663    162,632     58,634     103,999    251,994    122,948    129,046          1.48         1.52
1993 ...............................................    595,049     867,513    161,681     215,878    172,732     64,677     108,055    267,497    133,624    133,873          1.44         1.51
1994 ...............................................    637,585     930,049    172,973     234,893    185,610     72,784     112,826    290,128    149,840    140,288          1.41         1.50
1995 ...............................................    681,597     985,905    188,811     253,066    193,670     77,085     116,585    303,750    159,767    143,983          1.42         1.55
1996 ...............................................    716,763   1,004,708    201,723     256,178    203,775     82,778     120,997    314,096    166,152    147,944          1.39         1.52
1997 r..............................................    751,837   1,047,574    210,621     272,529    212,155     86,731     125,423    321,454    171,794    149,660          1.37         1.50
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1997:Jan r..........................................    736,480   1,007,321    207,448     257,522    209,307     85,061     124,246    314,056    165,919    148,137          1.37         1.50
      Feb...........................................  r 747,423   1,011,899    211,801     258,088  r 212,655   r 87,813   r 124,842    315,938    167,380    148,558          1.35       r 1.49
      Mar...........................................    745,460   1,013,376    210,195     259,389    212,342     87,042     125,300    315,427    167,444    147,983          1.36         1.49
      Apr ..........................................    746,769   1,017,150    209,926     258,046    209,934     85,472     124,462    317,596    168,701    148,895          1.36         1.51
      May...........................................    742,945   1,019,025    210,008     259,029    209,370     84,759     124,611    316,536    167,928    148,608          1.37         1.51
      June..........................................    750,027   1,026,255    210,772     264,154    210,940     85,762     125,178    317,278    168,696    148,582          1.37         1.50
      July..........................................    757,485   1,027,787    211,041     262,314    213,549     87,228     126,321    318,871    169,863    149,008          1.36         1.49
      Aug...........................................    752,886   1,030,243    208,336     264,899    214,372     88,014     126,358    316,897    168,855    148,042          1.37         1.48
      Sept..........................................    762,543   1,037,172    213,372     268,112    213,805     87,025     126,780    319,908    170,573    149,335          1.36         1.50
      Oct ..........................................    759,880   1,040,265    212,229     268,183    213,517     86,863     126,654    319,943    171,376    148,567          1.37         1.50
      Nov...........................................    757,708   1,043,460    210,919     270,004    213,834     87,610     126,224    319,274    170,805    148,469          1.38         1.49
      Dec r.........................................    764,311   1,047,574    212,679     272,529    214,898     89,031     125,867    321,454    171,794    149,660          1.37         1.50
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1998:Jan p..........................................    764,182   1,048,391    213,341     271,231  r 216,955   r 90,228   r 126,727    322,180    171,087    151,093          1.37         1.49
      Feb p.........................................  .........  ..........  .........  ..........    218,051     90,708     127,343  .........  .........  ..........  .............  .........
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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.