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



 
BUSINESS SALES AND INVENTORIES--Manufacturing and Trade

In October, manufacturing and trade sales rose 0.3 percent and 
inventories rose $2.3 billion. According to advance data, retail sales 
rose 0.6 percent in November, following a rise of 1.2 percent in 
October.
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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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                                                                                  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     840,622    149,506     195,769    153,718     55,736      97,981    239,780    121,159    118,621          1.52         1.56
1991................................................    542,815     834,595    148,306     200,389    154,661     54,165     100,497    243,256    119,100    124,156          1.53         1.54
1992................................................    567,176     842,843    154,150     208,242    162,632     58,634     103,999    252,091    123,116    128,975          1.48         1.52
1993................................................    595,015     869,367    161,560     216,919    172,820     64,996     107,824    268,409    134,600    133,809          1.44         1.51
1994................................................    637,695     932,267    172,870     235,328    185,823     73,509     112,314    292,062    152,004    140,058          1.41         1.51
1995................................................    682,501     991,655    188,837     253,556    194,109     78,311     115,798    307,114    163,421    143,693          1.43         1.56
1996................................................    714,837   1,009,647    200,115     256,442    205,100     84,044     121,055    316,476    168,891    147,585          1.40         1.52
1997................................................    749,645   1,053,078    208,342     273,298    213,851     88,186     125,665    323,647    174,430    149,217          1.38         1.50
 
1997:Oct r..........................................    757,573   1,046,591    210,137     268,745    215,115     88,372     126,743    322,293    173,877    148,416          1.38         1.50
      Nov...........................................  r 755,645   1,050,183    208,413     270,955  r 215,828   r 89,253   r 126,575    321,462    173,448    148,014          1.39         1.49
      Dec...........................................    763,107   1,053,078    209,816     273,298    216,867     90,877     125,990    323,647    174,430    149,217          1.38         1.49
 
1998:Jan............................................    761,165   1,055,034    210,224     272,130    219,004     92,060     126,944    324,707    173,673    151,034          1.39         1.48
      Feb...........................................    768,061   1,062,460    211,312     275,750    220,866     92,778     128,088    325,532    174,162    151,370          1.38         1.47
      Mar...........................................    773,877   1,068,754    213,781     277,624    221,105     92,607     128,498    329,182    176,350    152,832          1.38         1.49
      Apr...........................................    772,160   1,070,555    213,900     275,933    222,707     93,460     129,247    329,954    176,500    153,454          1.39         1.48
      May...........................................    772,405   1,070,022    213,413     277,699    225,370     95,187     130,183    326,594    173,633    152,961          1.39         1.45
      June..........................................    774,639   1,070,515    213,904     277,518    225,625     95,284     130,341    326,296    171,952    154,344          1.38         1.45
      July .........................................    773,762   1,070,875    214,229     277,466    224,153     93,235     130,918    325,773    171,417    154,356          1.38         1.45
      Aug ..........................................    772,454   1,074,870    211,713     280,591    224,296     93,309     130,987    325,834    171,353    154,481          1.39         1.45
      Sept r........................................    779,478   1,080,866    213,856     284,128    225,141     94,066     131,075    328,186    173,166    155,020          1.39         1.46
      Oct p.........................................    781,649   1,083,122    213,014     283,432  r 227,900   r 95,847   r 132,053    328,860    174,860    154,000          1.39         1.44
      Nov p.........................................  .........  ..........  .........  ..........    229,350     96,761     132,589  .........  .........  ..........  .............  .........
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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.