Manufacturers’ inventories contracted in December as the Inventories Index registered 38.8 percent, which is 0.3 percentage point lower than the 39.1 percent reported in November. An Inventories Index greater than 42.4 percent, over time, is generally consistent with expansion in the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ (BEA) figures on overall manufacturing inventories (in chained 2000 dollars).
The two industries reporting higher inventories in December are: Furniture & Related Products; and Wood Products. The industries that reported decreases in December are: Primary Metals; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Textile Mills; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Fabricated Metal Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Transportation Equipment; Machinery; Chemical Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products.
| Inventories | %Higher | %Same | %Lower | Net | Index | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Dec 2008 | 18 | 40 | 42 | -24 | 38.8 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Nov 2008 | 13 | 51 | 36 | -23 | 39.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Oct 2008 | 16 | 55 | 29 | -13 | 44.3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sep 2008 | 13 | 60 | 27 | -14 | 43.4 |
