[Economic Indicators October, 2008]
[Page Number 20]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 
BUSINESS SALES AND INVENTORIES--Manufacturing and Trade

In September, according to preliminary estimates, manufacturing and 
trade sales fell 1.9 percent; in August, sales fell 2.1 percent, while 
inventories rose $3.5 billion. According to advance estimates, retail 
sales fell 1.2 percent in September. Retail and food services sales also 
fell 1.2 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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1998 .........................     742,837   1,078,740       1.43    202,260     272,406       1.31    215,592       357,269          1.62       238,278
1999 .........................     786,634   1,138,805       1.40    216,597     290,171       1.30    234,046       385,009          1.59       257,797
2000 .........................     834,325   1,197,597       1.41    234,546     309,071       1.29    249,063       406,853          1.59       274,518
2001 .........................     818,615   1,120,025       1.42    232,096     297,199       1.32    255,644       394,713          1.58       282,131
2002 .........................     823,714   1,140,083       1.36    236,294     300,791       1.25    261,194       416,159          1.55       288,845
2003 .........................     853,596   1,146,695       1.34    246,857     306,032       1.22    272,123       432,359          1.56       301,264
2004 .........................     923,319   1,238,037       1.30    274,710     335,935       1.17    289,528       461,405          1.56       320,526
2005 .........................   1,001,315   1,305,227       1.27    298,803     360,411       1.17    307,338       471,956          1.51       340,141
2006 .........................   1,068,026   1,390,428       1.27    325,749     390,350       1.16    323,947       488,591          1.49       358,978
2007 .........................   1,113,787   1,443,837       1.27    353,663     411,955       1.13    336,701       501,218          1.47       373,556
 
2007:Aug r....................   1,117,717   1,420,769       1.27    357,087     400,986       1.12    337,195       501,726          1.49       374,253
    Sept r....................   1,127,306   1,428,294       1.27    363,137     405,082       1.12    341,944       501,217          1.47       379,370
    Oct ......................   1,131,917   1,430,592       1.26    364,887     405,003       1.11    339,407       502,812          1.48       376,802
    Nov ......................   1,153,365   1,435,815       1.24    373,884     407,837       1.09    343,926       501,539          1.46       381,280
    Dec ......................   1,144,800   1,443,837       1.26    371,569     411,955       1.11    340,168       501,218          1.47       377,909
 
2008:Jan .....................   1,160,251   1,457,953       1.26    380,230     417,143       1.10    342,378       503,313          1.47       380,019
    Feb ......................   1,148,347   1,464,497       1.28    378,217     421,078       1.11    340,599       502,744          1.48       378,106
    Mar ......................   1,161,817   1,467,463       1.26    385,072     421,700       1.10    342,367       499,972          1.46       380,020
    Apr.......................   1,179,814   1,474,247       1.25    391,050     427,560       1.09    342,733       501,054          1.46       380,788
    May ......................   1,192,681   1,479,765       1.24    399,845     431,273       1.08    345,425       499,667          1.45       383,769
    June .....................   1,213,469   1,490,874       1.23    411,960     435,147       1.06    345,636       500,100          1.45       384,069
    July r....................   1,214,338   1,507,756       1.24    408,862     441,823       1.08    343,097       506,863          1.48       381,578
    Aug p.....................   1,189,192   1,511,262       1.27    402,319     444,547       1.10  r 341,418       503,934          1.48     r 379,876
    Sept p....................   1,166,323  ..........  .........    396,162     444,183       1.12    337,218  ...............  .........       375,473
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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.