[Economic Indicators April, 2006]
[Page Number 20]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 
BUSINESS SALES AND INVENTORIES--Manufacturing and Trade

In February, according to current estimates, manufacturing and trade 
sales fell 0.7 percent and inventories were about unchanged. According 
to advance estimates, retail sales rose 0.7 percent in March. Retail and 
food services sales rose 0.6 percent.
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                                       [Millions of dollars, except ratios; seasonally adjusted, except as noted]
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                                   Manufacturing and trade \1\                 Wholesale                             Retail
                               ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Retail and
                                                          Inven-                            Inven-                                 Inven-       food
            Period                            Inven-      tory-                 Inven-       tory                                   tory      services
                                 Sales \2\  tories \3\    sales    Sales \2\  tories \3\    sales    Sales \2\  Inventories \3\    sales      sales \2\
                                                        ratio \4\                         ratio \4\                              ratio \4\
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1996 .........................     687,350   1,005,586       1.46    190,362     241,078       1.27    197,222       333,915          1.67       217,463
1997 .........................     723,879   1,046,812       1.42    198,154     258,496       1.26    206,167       344,593          1.64       227,670
1998 .........................     742,837   1,078,741       1.43    202,260     272,292       1.32    215,592       357,267          1.62       238,278
1999 .........................     786,634   1,139,214       1.40    216,597     290,418       1.30    234,046       385,087          1.59       257,797
2000 .........................     834,325   1,198,495       1.41    234,546     309,809       1.29    249,063       407,035          1.59       274,518
2001 .........................     822,982   1,140,929       1.43    232,096     298,380       1.32    255,644       394,966          1.58       282,131
2002 .........................     824,201   1,142,242       1.37    236,294     302,478       1.26    261,194       416,499          1.55       288,845
2003 .........................     850,634   1,158,821       1.35    246,857     308,017       1.23    272,123       432,268          1.56       301,264
2004 .........................     928,951   1,250,071       1.31    274,710     338,232       1.18    289,776       461,202          1.56       320,812
2005 .........................     995,827   1,306,407     r 1.29    295,843     362,084       1.19    309,932       473,865          1.50       342,985
 
2005:Feb r....................     965,833   1,266,619       1.31    285,899     344,060       1.20    301,567       463,277          1.54       333,908
    Mar r.....................     973,401   1,271,059       1.31    286,447     345,152       1.20    302,332       464,616          1.54       334,522
    Apr ......................     982,084   1,275,081       1.30    290,863     348,400       1.20    307,638       464,994          1.51       340,533
    May ......................     983,022   1,277,357       1.30    290,853     349,180       1.20    305,825       466,958          1.53       338,577
    June .....................     988,990   1,276,882       1.29    292,456     351,151       1.20    310,098       464,220          1.50       342,982
    July .....................   1,000,011   1,272,347       1.27    294,673     351,621       1.19    318,480       456,505          1.43       351,454
    Aug ......................   1,005,710   1,277,245       1.27    298,721     353,223       1.18    311,980       460,907          1.48       345,111
    Sept .....................   1,011,595   1,284,152       1.27    304,949     355,881       1.17    313,080       464,680          1.48       346,551
    Oct ......................   1,017,882   1,289,407       1.27    308,013     357,061       1.16    313,688       465,932          1.49       347,443
    Nov ......................   1,021,260   1,296,537       1.27    306,416     358,711       1.17    315,571       470,209          1.49       349,630
    Dec ......................   1,035,661   1,306,407       1.26    309,975     362,084       1.17    316,810       473,865          1.50       351,070
 
2006:Jan r....................   1,047,810   1,313,677       1.25    311,990     362,729       1.16    326,403       475,498          1.46       361,743
    Feb r.....................   1,040,757   1,313,459       1.26    312,114     365,492       1.17    324,001       474,303          1.46       358,797
    Mar p.....................  ..........  ..........  .........  .........  ..........  .........    326,172  ...............  .........       361,046
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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.