[Economic Indicators April, 1998]
[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 0.9 percent and 
inventories rose $6.5 billion. According to revised data, retail sales 
were unchanged in March, following a rise of 0.7 percent in February. 
(Retail series revised.)
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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   r 840,403    149,506     195,550    153,718     55,736      97,981  r 239,780  r 121,159  r 118,621          1.52       r 1.56
1991................................................    542,815   r 834,268    148,306     200,062    154,661     54,165     100,497  r 243,256  r 119,100  r 124,156          1.53         1.54
1992................................................    567,176   r 842,301    154,150     207,663    162,632     58,634     103,999  r 252,091  r 123,116  r 128,975          1.48         1.52
1993 r .............................................    595,137     868,425    161,681     215,878    172,820     64,996     107,824    268,409    134,600    133,809          1.44         1.51
1994 r .............................................    637,798     931,983    172,973     234,893    185,823     73,509     112,314    292,062    152,004    140,058          1.41         1.51
1995 r .............................................    682,036     989,269    188,811     253,066    194,109     78,311     115,798    307,114    163,421    143,693          1.43         1.56
1996 r .............................................    718,088   1,007,088    201,723     256,178    205,100     84,044     121,055    316,476    168,891    147,585          1.39         1.52
1997 r .............................................    753,533   1,049,767    210,621     272,529    213,851     88,186     125,665    323,647    174,430    149,217          1.37         1.50
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1997:Feb r .........................................    747,999   1,013,573    211,087     257,630    213,945     89,015     124,930    318,070    170,192    147,878          1.36         1.49
      Mar r ........................................    746,874   1,015,563    210,195     259,389    213,756     88,416     125,340    317,614    170,375    147,239          1.36         1.49
      Apr r ........................................    748,387   1,019,296    209,926     258,046    211,552     86,848     124,704    319,742    171,589    148,153          1.36         1.51
      May r ........................................    744,547   1,021,213    210,008     259,029    210,972     86,109     124,863    318,724    170,795    147,929          1.37         1.51
      June r .......................................    751,573   1,028,683    210,772     264,154    212,486     87,183     125,303    319,706    171,645    148,061          1.37         1.50
      July r .......................................    758,967   1,030,542    211,041     262,314    215,031     88,469     126,562    321,626    173,033    148,593          1.36         1.50
      Aug r ........................................    754,536   1,032,567    208,336     264,899    216,022     89,407     126,615    319,221    171,696    147,525          1.37         1.48
      Sept r .......................................    764,226   1,039,399    213,372     268,112    215,488     88,617     126,871    322,135    173,394    148,741          1.36         1.49
      Oct r ........................................    761,476   1,042,458    212,299     268,183    215,113     88,349     126,764    322,136    174,141    147,995          1.37         1.50
      Nov r ........................................    759,788   1,045,648    210,919     270,004    215,914     89,357     126,557    321,462    173,448    148,014          1.38         1.49
      Dec r ........................................    766,280   1,049,767    212,679     272,529    216,867     90,877     125,990    323,647    174,430    149,217          1.37         1.49
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1998:Jan r .........................................    765,416   1,051,017    212,760     271,188    219,004     92,060     126,944    324,707    173,673    151,034          1.37         1.48
      Feb p ........................................    772,330   1,057,560    213,901     274,306  r 220,549   r 92,872   r 127,677    325,071    173,891    151,180          1.37         1.47
      Mar p.........................................  .........  ..........  .........  ..........    220,493     92,400     128,093  .........  .........  ..........  .............  .........
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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 trade data revised beginning 
1990; unadjusted data revised 
beginning 1993. Total manufacturing 
and trade data reflect these 
revisions.

    Source: Department of Commerce, 
Bureau of the Census.