October 2012 retail and food services sales were $411.6 billion, down 0.3 percent from the previous month but up 3.8 percent from one year earlier. Excluding autos, retail and food services sales in October were $336.8 billion, unchanged from September but up 3.6 percent from October 2011.
September 2012 wholesale inventories were $494.2 billion, up 1.1 percent from August and up 7.5 percent from one year earlier. Sales were $414.0 billion, up 2.0 percent from August and up 4.4 percent from September 2011.
The September 2012 international
trade deficit decreased 5.1 percent from August, to $41.5 billion. Exports rose
3.1 percent, to $187.0 billion, and imports increased 1.5 percent, to $228.5
billion.
September 2012 new orders for manufactured durable goods increased 4.8 percent, to $475.4 billion. Shipments rose 0.9 percent, to $481.3 billion. Unfilled orders increased 0.2 percent, to $981.0 billion. And inventories rose 0.6 percent, to $615.7 billion.
Construction spending in September 2012 was $851.6 billion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, up 0.6 percent from the revised August 2012 estimate and up 7.8 percent from September 2011.
