[Economic Indicators May, 1998]
[Page Number 20]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 
BUSINESS SALES AND INVENTORIES--Manufacturing and Trade

In March, manufacturing and trade sales rose 0.6 percent and inventories 
rose $5.1 billion. According to advance data, retail sales rose 0.5 
percent in April, following no change in March. (Wholesale series 
revised.)
  ______________________________________________________________________


  ______________________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        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                            
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                                                                                
(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 840,622    149,506   r 195,769    153,718     55,736      97,981    239,780    121,159    118,621          1.52         1.56
1991................................................    542,815   r 834,595    148,306   r 200,389    154,661     54,165     100,497    243,256    119,100    124,156          1.53         1.54
1992................................................    567,176   r 842,880    154,150   r 208,242    162,632     58,634     103,999    252,091    123,116    128,975          1.48         1.52
1993 r .............................................    595,015     869,466    161,560     216,919    172,820     64,996     107,824    268,409    134,600    133,809          1.44         1.51
1994 r .............................................    637,695     932,418    172,870     235,328    185,823     73,509     112,314    292,062    152,004    140,058          1.41         1.51
1995 r .............................................    682,062     989,759    188,837     253,556    194,109     78,311     115,798    307,114    163,421    143,693          1.43         1.56
1996 r .............................................    716,480   1,007,352    200,115     256,442    205,100     84,044     121,055    316,476    168,891    147,585          1.40         1.52
1997 r .............................................    751,255   1,050,536    208,342     273,298    213,851     88,186     125,665    323,647    174,430    149,217          1.37         1.50
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1997:Mar r .........................................    744,961   1,015,696    207,522     259,786    214,516     88,697     125,819    317,350    170,325    147,025          1.36         1.48
      Apr r ........................................    746,131   1,020,380    208,148     259,130    211,074     86,828     124,246    319,742    171,589    148,153          1.37         1.51
      May r ........................................    742,486   1,022,394    207,947     260,210    210,972     86,109     124,863    318,724    170,795    147,929          1.38         1.51
      June r .......................................    749,425   1,029,681    208,624     265,152    212,486     87,183     125,303    319,706    171,645    148,061          1.37         1.50
      July r .......................................    757,399   1,031,527    209,473     263,299    215,031     88,469     126,562    321,626    173,033    148,593          1.36         1.50
      Aug r ........................................    751,871   1,032,780    205,671     265,112    216,022     89,407     126,615    319,221    171,696    147,525          1.37         1.48
      Sept r .......................................    761,560   1,040,059    210,706     268,772    215,488     88,617     126,871    322,135    173,394    148,741          1.37         1.49
      Oct r ........................................    759,217   1,043,457    210,040     269,182    215,113     88,349     126,764    322,136    174,141    147,995          1.37         1.50
      Nov r ........................................    757,282   1,046,599    208,413     270,955    215,914     89,357     126,557    321,462    173,448    148,014          1.38         1.49
      Dec r ........................................    763,417   1,050,536    209,816     273,298    216,867     90,877     125,990    323,647    174,430    149,217          1.38         1.49
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1998:Jan r .........................................    762,880   1,051,959    210,224     272,130    219,004     92,060     126,944    324,707    173,673    151,034          1.38         1.48
      Feb r ........................................    770,071   1,059,340    211,312     275,750    220,866     92,778     128,088    325,532    174,162    151,370          1.38         1.47
      Mar p.........................................    775,052   1,064,450    213,620     277,136  r 220,837   r 92,447   r 128,390    328,512    175,875    152,637          1.37         1.49
      Apr p.........................................  .........  ..........  .........  ..........    222,019     92,921     129,098  .........  .........  ..........  .............  .........
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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 
wholesale 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.