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March 2, 1956 BUSINESS STATISTICS ^^BUstiS^* A WEEKLY SUPPLEMENT TO THE SURVEY OF CURRENT BUSINESS Available only with subscription to the SURVEY OF CURRENT BUSINESS, at $3.25 annually, this Supplement provides selected weekly and monthly data subsequent to those published in the latest monthly SURVEY SELECTED BUSINESS INDICATORS THOUSANDS; THOUSANDS 1,200 300 i,000 250 BOO ~ 200 600 K 150 400 - 20 0 !953 1954 i955 100 W 50 J F M A M J J A S 0 N D 1956 INDEX, 1 9 4 7 - 4 9 = 100 INDEX, 1 9 4 7 - 4 9 = 100 *75 Monthly 175 j STEEL PRODUCTION (ingots &nd steel for castings) !50 mm JS" 125 * f \ 100 75 1 1 I 1 1 1 II 1953 1 II 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 t ! i i _J J__.J _L_l_J 1954 L_J L 1 1 1955 „-L-±-L-J l./l -\ 150 A 125 ^ 100 1 1 1 1 1 1956 I I I 1 I I I I I ! J F M A M J J A S O N U „J_J INDEX, 1 9 4 7 - 4 9 = 100 130 I INDEX, 1 9 4 7 - 4 9 = 100 125 COTTON CONSUMPTION CONSUMER PRICES (daily average; seas, adj.) 120 120 hAll Items 115 HO 110 Food 10 5 g_i i n 1 n M I I i i i n I i i i i i 1 i i i i i I i n I i I i I M i I I i i i I 1953 S954 S955 1956 3 0 0 h- 9 0 L-LLL) I I 1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 I I I I I I I I I I I 1 I I I I I I I I I 1953 1954 1955 1956 75 WfilKLY BUSINSSS STATISIKIS1 2 1956 1955 ITEM Feb. 19 Commodity prices, wholesale: A I I commbd if ies 1947-49= 100.. Farm products .do.... Foods, processed do.... A 11 other do.... 22 commod i t i es 2/ do.... Department store sa les do.... Insured unemployment, total thous.. State programs do.... F i nance: Currency in circulation^/ mil. of do!.. Federal Reserve bank Credit outstanding, total 3/....do.... Member bank reserve balances J>/ do.... Excess reserves, e%ti mated .3/.. do.... Federal Reserve reporting member banks in leading cities:±/ Demand deposits, adjusted mil. of do I.. Time deposits, except Government do.... Loans and investments (adjusted), total do.... U. S. Government obligations do.... Commercial, industrial, and agr. loans (gross)...do.... Real-estate loaris (gross) do.... Failures, industrial and commercial number. Bond yields, domestic corporate (Moody's) _3/ percent. Stock prices,480 stocks (Stand. & Poor's) 4/..1935-39=100. Industrials, 420 stocks do... Production: Bituminous coal .3/ thous. of short tons. Electric power, by utilities mil. of kw.-hr. Passenger cars and trucks (Ward's) number. Petroleum (crude) and condensate 3/ thous. of bb I. Steel 5/ , Percent of capacity J5/ Freight car loadings, total Mi see I ianeous ...thous. of short tons. thous. of cars. do... 91.5 90 2,075 1,849 Feb. 26 eb. II Feb. 4 *!10.4 •93. 1 •103.2 *l15.7 90.9 III.9 84.7 98.7 120.2 88.9 97 1,642 1,497 89.5 93 90 2,074 1,846 1,658 1,513 29,764 24,964 18,806 570 29,796 24,932 18,716 30,224 25,248 18,834 608 56,598 21,465 84,580 35,057 22,123 7,326 56,744 21,470 84,241 34,750 22,108 7,342 205 3.19 279.3 313.9 1,489 9,912 188,435 6,767 2, 150 #89.1 650 343 Feb. 18 1 12.1 86.0 98.7 120.2 88.6 95 444 30,230 25,104 18,773 473 30,225 25,174 18,693 523 57,607 21,446 84,694 28,822 26,260 8,154 57,048 21,460 84,143 28,499 26,181 8, 162 56,391 21,428 84,310 28,542 26,271 8,197 178 273 3.20 280.4 314.4 3.28 322.0 369.5 236 3.28 321.6 369.3 252 3.27 321.0 368.5 1,467 9,725 86,241 6,789 1,626 1i,540 167,272 7,081 1,692 11,343 160,967 7,046 1,682 11,321 151,551 7, 116 2, 19! #90.8 2,444 99.3 635 338 681 352 2,439 99.1 684 2,433 98.8 698 363 t 354 Feb. 25 112.0 85.7 98.4 120.2 88.5 30,196 25,360 18,749 535 230 3.27 325.7 374.5 147,380 2,433 98.8 U Data do not always cover calendar weeks. 2/ Tuesday prices. 3/ Daily average.. ±/ Wednesday data. ,5/ Week ended March 3, 1956: Production, 2,422 thous. short tons; operating rate, 98.4 percent. * Monthly index for February 1955. # Not comparable with 1956 rates which are based on higher capacity. MONTHLY BUSINESS STATISTICS 1954 1956 1955 ITEM December GENERAL BUSINESS Industrial and commercial January October November December January INDICATORS failures: do.... do.... do do.... 917 72 130 204 413 98 939 87 87 195 456 114 919 81 136 180 437 85 945 70 133 196 462 84 908 73 136 191 404 104 1,048 40,103 1,857 5,926 17,526 8,509 6,285 37,872 3,154 9,044 11,636 9,647 4,391 34,777 3,655 8,713 10,407 9,586 2,416 42,783 1,239 9,744 14,!06 12,626 5,068 41,643 1,106 7,341 11,554 10,775 10,867 42,890 2,974 6, 163 14,442 14,936 4,375 114.3 104.3 1 10.4 106.8 108.4 102.2 114.3 103.3 110.6 106.4 110.6 102.4 114.9 104.6 110.8 107.5 108.5 100.9 115.0 104.7 109.8 107.8 109.0 97. 1 1 14.7 104.7 109.5 107.7 110.7 94.6 119.7 109.1 105.4 129.4 126.3 1 19.6 109.4 104.6 129.5 126.5 120.8 ill.2 104.4 130.8 128.7 120.9 III.5 104.5 130.9 129.8 120.8 1 11.5 103.4 131.1 130.2 120.6 1 1 1.7 102.0 131.4 130.7 113.6 106.6 127.3 M9.9 113.7 106.9 127.6 M9.9 117.0 106.7 126.6 120.6 117.5 106.8 128.5 120.6 117.9 106.8 127.3 120.6 1 18.5 107.3 126.8 120.8 91.3 87.5 on A 90.8 87.5 90.4 89.6 87.0 90.3 89.9 87.0 91. S 89.8 87.2 91.3 72 126 209 535 106 COMMODITY PRICES 1947-49=100.. do.... do.... do.... do.... do.... do.... do.... do 1/ 114.6 104. 1 109.2 107.3 1 12.6 93.3 Purchasing power of the dollar as measured b y — do.... An _[/ jnuex uabeu on prices, 52.2; retail iyj?-jya\\jKj «s food, 45.3. I*I.O„ £/. maexes Dosea on IVJD-^V=IUU as follows: 2/ 89.4 2/ 87.3 9/ Ql * Measured by—wholesale prices, 40.8; consumer MONTHLY BUSINESS STATISTICS — Continued 1954 1956 !955 ITEM December January October November December January CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTA* Construction contracts awarded, 37 States (F.W. Dodge Corp.) Tota I projects number Total valuation mil. of dot Bu i itii ng, tota i do.. Construction cost index: E. H. Boeckh and Associates, average, 20 cities: Apartments, hotels, and office buildings: Brick and concrete U. S. avg. 1926-29*100 Br i ck and stee I do.. Br i ck and wood do.. Commercial and factory bui Idings: Brick and concrete do.. Br i ck and stee I do.. Brick and wood... do.. Frame .do.. Stee I do.. Res idences: Brick do.. Frame do.. 62,394 1,829 !,463 r54,385 rI,485 r1,236 61,135 1,863 1,475 54,856 !,797 1,388 50,551 1,92! 1,438 51,949 1,858 1,356 258.5 253.8 257.1 258.8 254.6 257.7 268.5 264.4 266.2 269.1 265.1 266.7 270.1 266. I 267.3 271.2 267.1 268.4 266.2 262.2 255.7 256.4 245.9 266.4 262.5 256.2 257.4 246.0 276.3 273.8 264.6 266.4 259.0 276.8 274.4 265.2 266.9 259.4 278.1 275.3 265.7 267.3 260.8 279.4 276.3 267.2 268.1 261.3 257.7 251.7 258.4 252.4 266.8 260.8 267.4 261.3 268.0 261.9 269.1 262.7 do.. 4,217 3,742 47 3,204 801 165 4,833 4,655 48 3,638 716 430 2,998 2,692 62 1,873 890 !73 5,527 4,662 65 4,215 1,008 240 5,337 4,889 56 3,962 879 440 4,915 4,684 59 3,727 853 275 do.., do.., do.., do.., do.., 6,288 1,200 401 3,739 947 4,942 222 379 3,176 ,166 5,355 542 364 3 f !6I 1,288 5,172 542 p426 ?3,I 16 p1,089 5,65! 595 o408 p3,477 pi,170 5,274 625 p402 p3,028 pl,2l9 FINANCE Federal Government finance: Rece i pts, tota I Recei pts, net Customs Income and employment taxes Miscellaneous internal revenue AM other receipts Expend itures, totai Interest on public debt.... Veterans' services and benefits Nat i ona I secur i ty A11 other expend i tures mil. of do I, do.. do.. do.. do.., CHEMICALS AND ALLIED PRODUCTS Organic chemicals, production: Acetic acid (synthetic and natural) thous. of lb. Acetic anhydride do.., Acetylsal icyl ic acid (aspirin) do.., Creosote oil.. thous. of gal, DDT thous. of lb, Ethyl acetate (85)1) do.., Ethylene glycol do.., Forma Idehyde (37£ HCHO) do.., Methanol: Natural (lOOjf) thous. of gal, Synthet i c (lOQjO do.., PhthaI ic anhydride thous. of lb, Synthetic plastics and r»sin materials, production: Cellulose acetate and mixed ester plastics: Sheets, rods, and tubes thous. of lb, Molding and extrusion materials do... Nitrocellulose sheets, rods, and tubes do.., Other cellulose plastics. do.., Phenolic and other tar acid resins do... Po I ystyrene Urea and me I amine resins Vinyl resins Alkyd resins Rosin modi fi cat ions do.., do.., do... do.., do.., 4 1,069 63,578 1,142 10,088 6,036 5,105 54,032 84,910 43,071 67,8861, 194 9,565 9,359 7,336 51,599 77,226 47,014 70,722 1,705 10,340 10,273 7,809 84,693 107,005 47,263 73,49! 1,385 i0,723 !0,3I0 6,124 75,535 111,181 47,771 80,027 1,606 9,710 10,991 7,636 82,575 107,479 176 16,974 28,376 170 15,393 25,798 197 17,698 31,174 166 17,206 29,980 196 19,675 29,749 3,662 6,470 329 452 33,010 3,290 6,908 414 553 34,394 3,880 8,374 415 385 44,619 3,495 8,394 451 643 r44,665 4,041 7,705 428 433 43,044 35,205 20,344 49,773 30,285 9,209 36,860 20,698 53,782 3!,44! 11,353 48,460 26,498 62,159 35,480 12,628 48,272 25,197 62,200 34,464 r I 1,083 47,434 24,206 61,285 35,689 10,617 639 1,583 6,119 1,167 2,120 912,239 54,704 1,153,238 225,859 563 1,521 5,519 1,223 1,993 883,371 58,810 ,050,606 203,886 728 1,693 6,144 1,248 2, 121 999,507 55,245 1,065,839 190,120 700 1,662 6,857 1,162 2,254 970,324 52,853 1,230,521 235,332 633 1,617 7,324 1,155 2,340 961,519 53,849 1,324,890 261,249 14,556 5,689 5,764 3,104 16,251 6,536 6,516 3,199 17,395 6,880 7,256 3,260 16,179 6,627 6,304 3,249 13,194 5,347 4,747 3,100 2,805 26,651 r426,OI9 14,842 2,644 30,438 408,334 15,924 2,449 32,937 551,082 16,807 2,416 32,644 6!3,!99 16,909 2,570 27,357 432,028 13,115 FOODSTUFFS Livestock slaughter (Federally inspected): Calves thous. of animals, Catt I e do.., Hogs do... Sheep and lambs... do... Meats, production, total mil. of lb. Beef and veal thous. of lb. Lamb and mutton do.., Pork, including lard do... Lard do... Tobacco, manufactured products: Production, total thous. of lb. Chewing, plug, and twist do... Smok ing do... Snuff do... Consumption (withdrawals): Cigarettes, small: Tax-free mi I I ions. Tax-pa id do... Cigars, tax-paid thousands. Manufactured tobacco and snuff, tax-paid....thous. of lb. r I DawicaH n / P r a l iminJtru 602 1,697 6,705 1,329 2,312 1,034,824 64,032 1,212,803 240,907 MONTHLY BUSINESS STATISTICS — Continued 4 1954 !956 1955 ITEM December METALS AND MANUFACTURES iron ore (Lake Superior district); Consumption by furnaces...............toous. of long tons„ ......do.,. Stocks, end of month, tdta!.• •••........... •.. .. ......do... At furnaces. ....••.•.••••••<,.• On Lake Erie docks.....•,.......•••..........<o e ....do.. e Castings, gray iron Orders, unfilled, for sale....., •thous. of short tons. Shipments, total.... .•••.••••..'..... ,...••••••« °.....do... P O T S 3 i e s s e a « . O 4 > e < ; a . e a a 0 o « o e 9 0 a < p e e e . « e . < i o a o . 9 t ......do... Castings, malleable iron: Orders, unfilled, for' sale ».., short tons. Shipments» total..„..................••...•..•< ...„..do... FOr Sa Ie««. 4 s o e . « o a e o e e s a « 9 f l 3 » u ! > a 9 i > e o s s o a 0 e < ...... do... Pig iron, production.... .thous. of short tons. Castings, steel; Shipments, total... ....•••....••....••......•., short tons. For saIe, totaI............................. t ......do... Rai (way specialties........................ ......do... Steel forgings (for s a l e ) ; Orders, unfilled,, totaI....•••.....,.thous. of short tons. Shiprnents, totaI............................... ......do... Drop and upset ..-,,,.. do... Machine tools (metal-cutting t y p e s ) : New orders...,...,.,.....,.mo. avg, sh i prnents;, 945-47s100, ......do... Sh i prnents ......6............. < > TEXTILE PRODUCTS Cotton; ±/ Consumpt ion , , .bales. Manufactures; Spindie activity (cotton system spindles): Active spindles, lest working cay, totaI„,, ..thousands* Consumirig I00 p®fcent cotton,..........„.,, .do... Spindle hour s oper ated, ail fibers, tot aI...,mi m i!. of hr. Average per working day...,,....,..., a „.,,, ...... do... Consumi ng 100 percent cotton,,, „ 0,, a,,. ,.s,,.,......do... , Oper at i ons as percent of capac I ty. „. „».,,,„. , January/ October December November January 7,953 36,702 30,283 6,419 6,341 44,018 37,427 6,591 6,620 37,470 31,360 6,110 7,850 49,523 42,167 7,356 7,488 5!,040 43,718 7,323 7,663 44,359 37,539 6,820 745 1,074 564 783 1,092 563 3,113 1,310 714 1,062 1,306 697 1,075 r1,260 664 85,064 r87,934 49,005 5,587 99,817 82,028 48,000 5,785 121,261 90,866 53,804 6,965 116,981 99,280 58,069 6,699 123,107 r99,946 60,409 6,954 93,547 69,843 11,489 98,238 75,044 13,809 145,674 !SO,409 23,745 152,381 I 16,908 25,635 r158,982 122,20! 29,003 472.7 128.5 96.4 487.8 135.9 103.0 559.7 158.0 120.0 584.7 158.1 119,7 592.4 158.1 120. I 202.9 203,4 203,0 167.3 347.1 204.2 433.3 214.2 r534.I r237.8 p399.2 p191.9 801,596 756,045 737,056 741,447 855,447 746,996 122 ..5 20/782 §9,282 9,934 497 9, 184 138.0 20,883 19,302 i0,290 515 9,512 144.9 20.902 19,352 10,150 508 9,393 143,0 20,988 19,440 I I,848 474 10,992 133.3 20,990 19,399 10,315 516 9,577 146.6 656,61! 69;>830 440,024 62,231 576,045 87,262 509,155 75,756 630,488 93,733 2,014 ,605 ,605 409 4,233 2,856 2,455 1,377 3,845 2,749 2,331 1,096 3,814 2,714 2,696 l» 100 4 199 2 98 S 2 ,981 I ,218 76 I 693 40 433 424 206 204 399 39C 38 38 860 851 39 39 903 884 42 42 20,626 19,136 I 1,059 442 10,239 7,050 TRANSPORTATi ON £0 U i W E N T Motor vehicles, registratIons: New passenger cars............................... s number. New commerci a i cars,,........*.,................< ...do... Railway equipment,, American Railway Car Institute; Freight cars: Sh i prnents, tota !,,, , ... .number, "• qv ; pment manu i act ur er s, tota I,,....,,....,,. ....do... Dome st i c... . . ,.,, do,.. Railroad shops, domestic..,.„.....,,„......., ....do... Passenger cars, equipment manufacturers: do... Order s un f I I Ied, end o• non*h, tota I Domes11c...,........., A............ v, ....do... Shi prnents, totaI Domest i c...» do. r/ Revised. j>/ Preliminary. 757 67! 57 34 J_/ Data for December 1954 and December i955 cover 5 weeks; o*her months, 4 weeks. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE DIVISION OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS WASHINGTON 25, D. C. OFFICIAL BUSINESS FIRST CLASS WEEKLY SUPPLEMENT SURVEY OF 2,240 ! r 436 i , 377 804 CURRENT BUSiNESS PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE TO AVOID PAYMENT OF POSTAGE, $300
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