[Economic Indicators April, 1999]
[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 1.0 percent and 
inventories rose $3.9 billion. According to advance data, retail sales 
rose 0.2 percent in March, following a rise of 1.7 percent in February.
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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
 
                                                     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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   1,052,717    208,342     273,003    213,851     88,186     125,665    323,581    174,322    149,259          1.38         1.50
1998 ...............................................    775,796   1,087,417    213,454     286,962    224,655     94,374     130,280    333,657    178,844    154,813          1.38         1.46
 
1998:Feb r..........................................    766,700   1,061,613    210,822     275,478    219,995     92,118     127,877    324,957    173,740    151,217          1.38         1.48
      Mar...........................................   r773,218   1,068,754    213,781     277,624  r 220,446   r 92,280   r 128,166    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 .........................................    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...........................................    781,447   1,083,366    213,429     283,776    227,885     96,036     131,849    328,559    174,686    153,873          1.39         1.44
      Nov...........................................    785,777   1,087,970    214,891     285,716    229,463     96,761     132,702    331,254    177,158    154,096          1.38         1.44
      Dec ..........................................    793,647   1,087,417    217,403     286,962    231,997     98,639     133,358    333,657    178,844    154,813          1.37         1.44
 
1999:Jan r..........................................    792,110   1,086,911    215,441     285,906    234,999     99,920     135,079    336,132    180,365    155,767          1.37         1.43
      Feb p.........................................   r799,975   1,090,793    217,609     287,725  r 239,050  r 102,624   r 136,426    338,429    181,687    156,742          1.36         1.42
      Mar p.........................................  .........  ..........  .........  ..........    239,639    102,460     137,179  .........  .........  ..........  .............  .........
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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.