LEVEL OF MANUFACTURING INVENTORY

Manufacturing Inventory and Sales Ratio (monthly data, seasonally adjusted)

Manufacturing inventory to sales ratio indicates the level of inventory that manufacturers currently maintain to meet a given sales volume. Over time, manufacturers have reduced inventory in relation to sales. Increased speed and reliability of transportation help manufacturers operate with smaller inventories.

NOTE: The Census Bureau released revised historical new orders data on May 21, 2001. This report reflects those revisions.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Economic Briefing Room, as of Aug. 15, 2001, available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/esbr.html.