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SURVEY OF CURRENT BUSINESS
WEEKLY SUPPLEMENT
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE
WASHINGTON, D. C, MARCH 9, 1939
SUMMARY OF BUSINESS TRENDS
B
USINESS activity during February approximated the January rate, though the seasonally corrected indicators for major
lines were somewhat lower by reason of the lack of the usual
expansion. Department-store sales, according to the weekly
reports, receded slightly on a corrected basis and for the 4 weeks
ended February 25 were 2 percent below the dollar turn-over
of the corresponding weeks of last year. Retail sales of new
passenger cars were about one-third larger than last year with
the change from January following a seasonal pattern. Railway
freight traffic in February recorded a small contraseasonal
decline; for the 4 weeks ended February 25, however, loadings
were 7 percent higher than a year earlier. Consumption of
electric power also receded slightly in February.
Manufacturing production in February was little changed
from the rate in January; the seasonally corrected index moved
moderately lower for the second successive month. The available data point toward a decline in the adjusted rate of textilemill activity. A decline occurred in the adjusted figures for silk
deliveries, and cotton consumption failed to show the usual small
advance, according to preliminary weekly data. Production of
steel ingots was slightly above daily output in January whereas
a sizable gain is usual. The rate of automobile assemblies was
slightly lower than in January.
The heavy awards of construction contracts in recent months
have been reflected in an enlarged flow of orders to industries
supplying construction materials. New orders received for construction steel so far this year have been about three-fourths
above the tonnage in the first 2 months of 1938, acording to Iron
Age. Shipments by lumber manufacturers in the first 8 weeks
of this year were around 15 percent larger than in the comparable weeks of 1938. Electrical equipment companies have received substantial orders recently and the volume of new business
of the leading companies was sharply higher than in January and
February of last year. This improvement comes after new orders
for electrical equipment had been relatively steady at reduced
levels throughout last year. Contracts for generating equipment on publicly owned projects were an important source of
business for some companies.
SELECTED BUSINESS INDICATORS
FREIGHT CAR LOADINGS
(THOUSAKOS Of CARS)
AUTOMOBILE PRODUCTION
(THOUSANDS or VEHICLES)
ol
w 1 mIml'Ak'lmluU^IMAIkvAw 1 m 1 wj
BrruMiNous COAL PRODUCTION
( THOUSANDS OF SHORT TONS)
' ' J w 1 \n\iu\
MJLJ m L m i w
ol
'JJ..'Iu±VMw 1 muulm 1 m tolMI1 1 UJ. 1 v^J
^'^'U^Li^^M^tol^l^l^U^'l^l1^
CRUDE PETROLEUM PRODUCTION
ELECTRIC POWER PRODUCTION
(MILLIONS OF KILOWATT HOURS)
(THOUSANDS OF BARBELS - DAILY _AVERAGE)_
1 m\iM\ ' ' ' \M' • • •'
WHOLESALE PRICES
I TSM. I MAR. I APR. 1 MAY I JUNE I JULY I AUO I SEPT I OCT 1 NOV. I DEC.
STOCK PRICES
(1926*100)
cr
348 INDUSTRIALS^y^
\
^ v
\
\
\ T
40 PU3L C UTILITICS--
%
^
32 RAILROADS-
1 M
I I 1 11 1 I 1
l»3«
131954—39
( i t i
t 1 1 t t
t«7
111 M
! 1 1 1 1 1 I t i i i !
i?38
I.I.I
2
WEEKLY BUSINESS INDICATORS
[Weekly average 1923-25=100]
Business activity:1
New York Times§ef Barron'sc?
Business Week
Commodity prices, wholesale:
Dept. of Labor, 1926=100:
Combined index (S13)
Farm products (67)
Food (122)...
All other ^624)
Fisher's index. 1926=100:
Combined index (120)
Copper, electrolytic!
Cotton, middling, spot
;.
Mar. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Mar. Feb. Mar. Feb.
27
25
Finance—Continued.
Banking:
Debits, outside N. Y. O4-—
Federal Reserve reporting
member banks:
Loans, total.
Interest rates:
Call loans t Time loansj..__
Currency in circulationt
Production:
Automobiles
.-.
Bituminous coalj
—
Cotton consumption*
Electric powerf
_
Lumber
_
Petroleum!.
Steel ingots®
Receipts, primary markets:
Cattle and calves
_
Hogs
_._
Cotton
Wheat
90.4 79.6 78. R106.7 107.5
88.0 88.8
96.9 96.9 96.7 97.2 73.0 76.0 114.1 115.1
100.8 99.8 101.3 101.9 80.9 81. 3 117.0 116.8
78.8
67.7
71.4
80.4
76.6
66.9
71.3
80.4
76.6
66.7
71.1
80.4
76.6
67.
71.0
80.4
79.8
71.1
73. S
82.9
79.6
70.2
73.5
83.1
1937
1938
1939
1937
1938
1939
Mar. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Mar. Feb. Mar. Feb.
26
25
86.1
91.6 91.4
S6.3 86.7
84.5 S4.4
90.9
79.7 79.5 79.8 83.0 83.0
79.7 79.7 79.7 71.0 71.0
7
107.2 102.9
33.1 33.5 33.8
32.7
48.9
57.2
30.3
57.8 55.8
58.5 60.5 60.5 60.2 57.7 53.4 76.2 72.2
127.5
74.3
100.5
80.3 80.0
79.7 79.7
33.5 32.7
Construction contractst
Distribution: Carloadings
Employment: Detroit, factory—
Finance:
64.1 62.7 63.9 65.6 45.0
Failures, commercial
52.6 53.3
Bondyieldst
65.5 66.0
66.2 66.9 72.4 72.6 65.5 65.3
Stock pricesj
^
106.9 104.1 104.9 104.S 103.9 95.0
144.2 141.2
96.2 85.0 94.0 31.8 87.6 94.6 82.9 113.7 106.5
65.5 65.5 65.7
24.2 24.2 24.2
28.6 2$. 6 23.6
139.0 13S. 2 137.9
65.4 65.9 71.5 71.2 73.0 72.4
24.2 24.2 24.2 24.2 24.2 24.2
28.6 28.6 28.6 28.6 28.6 2S.6
137.6 137.5 130.8 130.2 131.9; 131.5
103.2 99.2 104. 110.8 102.8 71.4
85.3 83.3 84.1 79.0 62. S
107, 106.5 109.3 86.3
133.6 35.0 136.1 137. 3 122.2
41.6 37.0 36.8 42.7 35.0
159.6 157. 165.2 160.3
8 159.6
95.8 92.2 94.1 91.7 90.7 4S.5
66.3
54. 54.6 52.5
36.1 39.8 32.6 36.0 33.9
35.0 31.5 33.1 45.4 44.6 42.3
35.4 27.6 23.9 30.4 33.9 32.9
•Data do not cover calendar weeks in all cases.
§Computed normal=100.
JDaily average.
fWeekly average, 1928-30=100.
®Index for week ended Mar. 11 is 94.6.
cf For description of these indexes, see p. 4 of the Dec. 16,1937 issue.
74.3
65.7
86.3
121.9
166.0
108. 7
134.1
132.1
46.0
159. 5 158.4
51.3 140.9
146.7
111.4
133.2
132.5
48.6
15S.2
135.5
63.0 66.7 64.7
45.7 44.?. 46.9
74.6 56.5 46.5
20.9 18.4 18.5
^Seasonally adjusted.
WEEKLY BUSINESS STATISTICS *
1938
1939
COMMODITY PRICES, WHOLESALE
Copper, electrolytic, New Yorkt
dol. per l b Cotton, middling, spot, New York
-__do_..-.
Food index (Bradstreet's)
_
do...,
Iron and steel, composite
dol. per ton.
Wheat, No. 2 hard winter (Kansas City)..dol. per bu..
FINANCE
Banking:
Debits, New York City..
mil. of dol...
Debits, outside of New York City
do_.
Federal Reserve banks:
Reserve bank credit, total
do.,.
U. S. Government securities.
.do___
Member bank reserve balances
do.-.
Excess reserves, estimated
do...
Federal Reserve reporting member banks:
Deposits, demand, adjusted
do__.
Deposits, time
do...
Investments, total §
_
_
do...
U. S. Government direct obligations
_do
Obligations fully guaranteed by U. S. Government
mil. of dol___
Loans, total§
_
__do___.
Commercial, industrial, and agricultural loans §
mil. of dol.
Interest rates, call loansj
percentInterest rates, time loansj
do
Exchange rates:
French franct
,
cents
Pound sterling*
dollars
Failures, commercial
number
Currency in circulation^
mil. of dol
Security markets:
Bond sales (N. Y. S. JS.)
thous. of dol. par value
Bond yields {Moody*») (120 bonds) %
percent
Stock sales (N. Y. S. E.)
...thous. of sharesi
Stock prices (N. Y. Times)%
dol. per share.
Stock prices (Standard Statistics) (420)
1926=100.
Industrials (348).
do
Public utilities (40)
"
do""
Railroads (32)
_
I
..""
do""
PRODUCTION, CONSTRUCTION* AND
DISTRIBUTION
Production*.
Automobiles.
number
Bituminous coal J
thous. of short tons.,
Electric power
.mil. of kw.-hrPetroleumt
_._
thous. ofbbl.
Steel ingotJ®
pet. of capacity^,
Construction-contract awards t
thous. of dol
Distribution:
Freight-car loadings, total
cars..
Coal and coke
_
do
Forest products
do.
Grains and grain products
do....
Livestock
.......
do....
Merchandise, 1. c. 1
do..
Ore
_
do
Miscellaneous
do..
Receipts:
Cattle and calves
_
thousands..
Hogs
„
..do
Cotton Into sight
thous. of bales .
Wheat, at primary markets
thous. of bu .
Feb. 25
0.110
.091
2.33
0.110
.089
2.32
36.38
.71
0.110
.089
2.31
36.38
0.110
.090
2.30
36.36
.68
0.110
.090
2.31
36.35
-70
0.110
.090
2.30
36.35
.72
0.098
.091
2.47
38.84
0.098
.092
2.48
38.84
0.148
.140
2.96
39.47
1.38
0.142
.133
2.94
36.95
1.33
0.090
.113
2.62
33.60
1.08
3,548
4,462
2,638
3.2S4
2,841
3,637
3,385
3,793
3,362
4.063
3,064
3, £60
4,224
4,117
4.384
4,358
2.592
2,564
8,841
3,293
2,587
2,564
8,707
3,166
2,584
2,564
9,018
3,459
2,582
2.554
9,047
3,478
2,583
2,564
9,166
3,597
2,155
3,207
2,591
2,564
7.240
1,412
4,833
6,274
2,586
2,564
8,942
3,382
3,523
4.387
2,563
2,564
7,215
1,391
2,457
2,430
6,660
1,310
2,460
2,430
6.705
2,097
2,475
2,431
5,813
3,040
15,965
5,202
13,408
8,143
13,094
6,189
13,426
8,184
15,951
5,181
13,403
8,182
16,077
5.1?5
13,2S0
8,171
16,048
5,183
13,209
8,173
16,152
5,179
13,147
8,186
14,381
5,260
12.298
8,137
14,576
5,249
12,271
8,147
15,501
5,167
13.597
9,067
15,638
6, 111
13.621
9,094
13,966
4,911
13,040
8.634
2,019
8,186
1,993
8,180
1,975
8,205
1,807
8,179
1,789
8,233
1,733
8,281
1,159
1,150
8,896
1,208
9,121
1,209
9,054
1,224
8,166
3,773
1.00
1.25
3,766
1,00
1.25
3,761
1.00
1.25
3,745
1.00
1.25
3,767
1.00
1.25
3,765
1.00
1.25
4,357
1.00
1.25
4,378
1.00
1.25
1.00
1.25
1.00
1.25
.75
1.00
2.647
4.688
214
6,752
2.649
4.689
217
6,711
2.648
4.686
224
6,697
2.647
4.S86
261
6,681
2.643
4.678
255
6,676
2.641
4.675
301
6,635
3.261
5.017
260
6,350
3.267
5.018
267
6,321
4.620
4.885
183
6,405
4.651
4.890
172
6,386
6.670
4.990
209
5,867
43,850
3.78
4,641
103.83
92.5
108.9
86.5
30.4
26,500
3.81
3,365
101.05
89.6
105.6
84.1
27.9
25,820
3.81
2,860
101.89
90.5
106.9
84.2
27.9
30,530
3.82
3,536
101.73
91.1
107.4
85.2
28.5
32,650
3.86
4,224
100.88
89.0
105.3
81.8
27.7
38,ISO
3.86
7,657
98.29
87.4
103.5
80.9
27.0
27,200
4.18
2,679
92.27
82.7
98.2
71.7
29.4
29,480
4.19
3,978
93.74
84.7
100.7
73.4
30.2
88,810
3.78
14,844
140.07
131.5
154.8
108.0
61.2
58,270
3.77
9,953
137.09
128.5
150.9
108.0
58.2
76,670
3.93
14,617
122.12
1C9.4
124.8
104.6
50.8
78,705
75,660
1,453
2,226
3,329
53.7
79,860
1,418
2,249
3,324
54.8
8,967
84,500
1,433
2,268
3,284
53.4
78,410
1,346
2,287
3,442
52.8
89,200
1,427
2,293
3,248
51.2
12,241
54,445
1,070
2,036
3,340
29.3
56,677
1,119
2,031
3,323
30.4
4,872
126,643
1,851
2,200
3,299
85.8
111,915
1,897
2,207
3,193
82.5
9,180
84,705
1,497
1,893
2,759
53.5
560,609
138,732
25,484
28,885
9,935
133,965
7,884
215,724
580,071
137,080
24,387
28,587
11,120
148,250
8,944
221,703
579,918
142,358
23,539
28,809
9,700
148,404
8,429
218,679
576,790
140,779
25,538
29,544
11,371
146,138
9,062
214,358
594,379
148,811
27,935
32,202
12,966
146,428
7,640
218,397
552,916
112,617
26,932
33,039
10,697
151,498
6,805
211,328
511,939
106,754
25,819
30,215
11,450
134,938
6,818
195,945
730,329
171,490
36,209
28,230
11,437
171,063
10,717
301,183
171,361
34,465
27,342
10,991
153,264
10,706
284,264
634,570
141,401
30,765
36,960
11,166
159,113
6,453
248,712
172
234
82
2,196-
172
258
166
211
118
2,416
185
234
116
3,093
198
270
110
2,871
210
220
110
2,615
199
297
194
1,664
211
291
147
1,464
205
304
121
196
252
94
2,313
91
2,820
Feb. 11
Feb. 4
Jan. 28
Mar. 5
•Data do not coyer calendar weeks in all cases.
J Daily average.
® Rate for week ended Mar. 11 is 55.1.
|No longer strictly comparable: for an explantion, see the corresponding data in the forthcoming April 1939 issue of the Survey.
Feb. 26
Mar. 6
1936
Mar. 4
55.8
Feb. 18
1937
Feb. 27
Mar. 7
MONTHLY BUSINESS STATISTICS
Monthly statistics through December 1937, together with explanatory notes and references
to the sources of the data may be found in the
1933 Supplement to the Survey
1939
1938
February
February
March
92
91
70
107
78
66
116
108
92
97
94
68
121
96
93
70
117
110
111
97
117
101
April
May
June
July
1939
August
s
<f e e r m -
October
No v e m
b e r "
95
118
95
124
72
107
70
60
111
107
107
94
131
73
109
71
60
111
102
95
De c e m
b e r '
January
COMMODITY PRICES
Page 11
Prices received by farmers (U. S. Department of
Agriculture):
Combined index
.1909-14=100..
Chickens and eggs
__
do.~..
Cotton and cottonseed
_
do—
Dairy products
do
Fruits
_
do
Grains
do
Meat animals
-—
do
Truck crops
-.do
Miscellaneous
--do
EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS AND
94
93
71
110
68
82
114
93
36
92
98
71
103
77
79
111
88
82
92
99
68
93
73
77
116
92
84
95
103
71
101
79
72
123
99
87
92
105
69
102
78
62
115
92
99
WAGES
Page 38
Trade-union members employed:
All trades
.percent of t o t a l Building..do.._.
Metal
_
do
Printing
--do
Allotber..
...do....
On full time (all trades)
-do
FINANCE
Pages 54, 56, 65, 76
Banking:
*
Federal Reserve banks, condition, end of
month:
Assets (resources) total
mil. of dol..
Reserve bank credit outstanding, total
mil. of doL.
Bills bought
do
Bills discounted
—do
United States securities
do—
Reserves, total
do
Gold certificates
do
Liabilities, total
do
Deposits, total
do
Member bank reserve balances, total
mil. of dol..
Excess reserves (estimated)
do
Federal Reserve notes in circulation
mil. of dol—
Reserve ratio.
percent—
Money and interest rates:
Discount rate (N. Y. F> R. Bank)
do
Open market rates, N. Y. C :
Acceptances, prime, bankers
do
Call loans, renewal {N. Y. S. E.)
do....
Com'l paper, prime (4-6 mo.)
do
Time loans. 90 days (N. Y. S. #.).—do.___
Monetary statistics:
Foreign exchange rates:
Argentina
dol. per paper pesoBelgium
.
dol. per belga—
Canada
dol. per Canadian dol—
France
dol. per francGermany
dol. per reichsmark..
Netherlands
dol. per guilder-.
Sweden
„
dol. perkrona..
United Kingdom
dol. per £__
Public finance (Federal):
Debt,CTOSS.end of mo
mil. of dol—
Public issues:
Interest bearing*
do
Nonintcrest bearing*
__
do
Special issues to gov't agencies and trust
funds*...
mil. of dol._
Receipts, customs
thous. of dol..
—Security markets:-—
Stocks:
Prices:
Dow-Jones & Co- Inc. (65 stocks)
dol. per share..
Industrials (30stocks)
do....
Public utilities (15 stocks)
do....
Rails (20 stocks)
do....
New York Times (50 stocks)...
do
Industiials (25 stocks)
do
Railroads (25 stocks)
do
TRANSPORTATION AND
COMMUNICATIONS
Page 85
Class I steam railways:
Freight carloading (A. A. J2.)."5
Total cars.
thousands..
Coal
doCoke
do..
Forest products
do
Grains and grain products
do
Livestock
do—
Merchandise, 1. c. I
do
Ore
_„„.,
do
Miscellaneous
do
104
75
117
107
65
127
70
112
73
63
109
108
108
94
97
71
109
76
66
112
96
109
64
65
84
65
78
88
89
65
15,862
12,796
12,925
14,322
14,179
14,214
14,285
14,261
14,573
14,861
15,293
15,581
15,639
2,598
1
4
2,564
12,561
12,125
15,8G2
10,571
2,590
2,611
2,582
2,600
1
8
12,925
7,917
2,564
11,049
10,642
14,285
9,270
2,564
11,026
10,640
14,261
9,212
2,563
11,295
10,918
14,573
9,406
2,586
1
7
2,564
9,637
9,183
12,796
7,850
9
2,564
11,030
10,648
14,179
9,212
2,585
1
2,564
11,639
11,272
14,861
9,672
2,584
1
7
2,564
11,970
11,613
15,293
9,935
2,601
1
4
2,564
12,166
11,798
15, £81
10,088
2,607
13
2,580
2,596
1
8
2,564
11,041
10,645
14,214
9,247
2,589
10
2,594
1
9
2,564
11.091
10,650
14,322
5
2,574
12,382
11,948
15,639
10,420
8,936
3,387
7,248
1,415
7,287
1,546
7,623
2,548
7,665
2,568
8,024
2,875
8,164
3,022
8,179
2,941
8,198
2,869
8,713
3,227
8,876
3,383
8,724
3,205
9,215
3,644
4,353
84.2
4,139
80.4
4,142
80.3
4,148
82.5
4,157
82.5
4,149
82.4
4,135
82.4
4,169
82.4
4,253
82.7
4,315
83.2
4,385
83.6
4,452
83.7
4,339
83.9
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
Me
1.00
W-l
1M
Me
1.00
M
M<
M
Me
1.00
H-H
.312
.169
.995
.026
.401
.536
.241
4.686
.335
.170
1.000
.033
.404
.560
.259
5.018
.169
.997
.031
.402
.556
.257
4.984
39,859
37,636
37,560
35,934
533
34,603
553
34,486
556
3,392
22,361
2,481
24,203
2.518
26,307
43.68
144.60
24.94
30.31
102.22
181.21
23.24
40.92
126.08
J9.23
28.8J
89.73
157.18
22.28
2,297
529
30
99
116
42
577
34
870
r 2,156
442
23
105
127
45
577
29
Ms
1.00
H-l
IH
IH
.332
.169
.994
.031
.4C2
.556
.257
4.981
M<
%
M<
1.00^
1.00
IH
IH
IH
.325
.169
.320
.169
.994
.027
.400
.539
.248
4.804
.331
.168
.992
.028
.402
.554
.256
4.967
.331
.170
.989
.028
.403
.553
.256
4.958
.329
.169
.994
.028
.402
.550
.254
4.929
37,513
37,424
37,167
34,465
546
34,291
551
2,501
24,430
37.86
119.07
17.96
24.63
83.14
148.12
18.17
2,223
331
20
108
133
44
606
31
900
.m
.318
.169
.991
,027
.400
.544
.246
4.768
Me
LOO
1.00
1.00
tt9
1.00 '
H
IH
H-H
1U
.314
.169
.992
.026
.400
.543
.243
4.708
.311
.168
.991
.026
.401
.544
.241
4.670
.311
.169
.992
.026
.401
,542
.240
37,194
.027
.401
.546
.252
4.881
37,596
38,395
38,426 •38,607
39,427
39,631
589
33,834
549
34,112
541
34,920
543
34,950 •34,981
526
535
35,743
523
35,882
534
2 582
22,336
2,676
21,950
2.810
23,101
2,943
28,673
2,933
28,590
2.949
30,797
3,090
27,338
3,156
25,121
3.215
24.318
35.57
112.85
17.76
21.52
81.92
146. 70
17.13
36.38
114.20
22.00
19.09
80.47
143.93
17.01
38.73
118. 79
19.38
21.82
85.70
153.92
17.49
46.05
139.47
21.64
28.16
98.90
175.95
21.85
46.13
140.97
20.01
28.49
99.74
177.53
21.95
43.98
137.04
18.49
25.62
95.68
171.70
19.68
49.64
150.36
22.92
30.62
106.81
189.69
23.95
50.32
151.96
23.35
31.29
105.29
186.99
23.59
49.32
150.12
21.94
30.52
105.36
186.99
23.74
49.13
146.87
23.30
31.20
102.73
181.82
23.64
2,650
405
20
122
160
58
754
40
1,092
2,186
344
16
105
130
51
597
55
887
••2,760
'432
'20
'132
'186
'53
'717
M18
' 1,101
••2,273
'353
'17
'104
'223
'44
•-663
'90
'879
2,392
382
18
120
191
49
598
98
936
2,553
463
22
120
143
63
604
106
1,022
3,542
663
31
159
221
102
799
141
1,422
2,530
511
26
109
137
69
594
65
1,018
2,949
664
35
131
163
67
708
44
1,138
2,302
515
30
103
129
53
561
33
878
FUELS AND BYPRODUCTS
Pages 117,118,119
Coal:
Anthracite:
Production
Bituminous:
Production
Coke, beehive:
Production
thous. of short t o n s _
do
do
* 4,111
3,539
4,015
3,138
4,255
4,291
2,571
2,729
3,337
4,165
3,728
4,471
'4,953
*33,910
27,440
26,745
22,380
21,266
22,470
23,357
28,665
32,276
35,094
36,110
36,230
35,530
105
97
75
58
52
44
60
56
63
70
» Preliminary.
' K r f }°f' P T
R ? l?fa«MSbeginning July 1932 not shown on p. 32 of the November 1938 Survey will appear
in a H
subsequent Issue,
r r
, Data for April, June, October, ana .December 1938 are for 5 weeks: other months. 4 w^t*.
"
'
^
''
- Revised.
e
T
a
ta o n
u ]
r77
MONTHLY BUSINESS STATISTICS—Continued
Monthly statistics through December 1937, together with explanatory notes and references
to the sources of the data may be found in the
1938 Supplement to the Survey
METALS AND MANUFACTURES
Page 137
Nonferrous metals:
Tin:
Deliveries
long tons.
Stocks, end of month:
World, visible supply
_.do__.
United States
do...
TEXTILE PRODUCTS
Pages 154,156
Cotton:
World visible supply, total._thous. of bales.
American cotton
...-do...
Silk:
Deliveries (consumption)
bales.
Stocks, end of month:
Total, visibls supplyp
do_
United States (wa ehnusif0
do___
1939
February
1938
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
Se
£ £ m - October
No
1939
January
™r
4,105
4,420
4,555
3,745
4,275
4,205
3,775
3,775
4.465
4,960
3.535
3,400
4,330
35, 245
5,486
25, 261
5,116
29.125
4,45S
30, 606
4,447
27,909
3,679
29,061
4,247
31,097
4,071
.32,251
5.232
32,476
4,573
31, 539
4,500
30, 593
5,060
30,554
5,157
34.240
4.024
9,247
6,645
* 9,183
* 7,372
9,025
6,881
8,796
6,509
8,490
6.071
8,142
5,772
7,893
5,491
7,643
5,479
8,726
6,686
9.802
7,750
9,757
7,790
9,652
7,478
9,361
7,050
33,219
30,260
34,884
33,381
28,687
31,492
32,593
38,504
38,844
35,631
41,599
35,204
40,816
98,074
38.178
136,934
43.834
134,426
3fi. 326
130,955
41.455
135,616
37.016
133,157
44,457
138,105
42. 305
135,347
39.747
142, 511
40.711
151,311
43.811
150,718
46. 218
149,778
53,278
124,354
August
Septem- October Novem- December
ber
ber
1939
January January February
4i<, 554
193S
March
April
May
June
July
EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS AND
WAGES
Pages 39, 44, 47
Labor conditions:
National Industrial Conference Board (25 industries):
Average weekly hours per worker in fac36.6
33.3
33.4
32.5
32.7
32.9
tories
hours..
33.8
33.1
36.2
36.7
35.2
36.fi
Labor turn-over in mfg. establishments:
4.09
2.84
2.58
3.13
3.78
Accession rate..mo. rates per 100 employees3.44
3.13
4.81
4.51
4.24
5.19
' 5.29
3.22
Separation rate:
6.08
3.19
4.54
4.39
4.57
4.46
4.41
Total
do
3.56
3.08
3.81
3.30
3.14
3.88
.11
.10
.10
.11
.13
.11
.11
Discharge
do
.12
.10
.12
.10
.09
.09
5.45
2.24
3.85
3.79
3.82
3.74
3.69
Lay-off
do
2.62
2.33
2.40
2.44
3.21
3.13
.52
.85
.59
.49
.62
.61
.61
Quit
_
do
.65
.78
.60
.58
Wages:
National Industrial Conference Board (25
industries):
25.95
23.63
23.53
22.98
23.74
23.53
23.38
Factory average weekly earnings...dollars_
23.93
24.93
26.14
25.73
26.32
' 26.02
.714
.713
.717
.710
Factory average hourly earnings
do—
.710
.719
.711
.713
.714
.714
.714
.718
.713
CHEMICALS AND ALLIED PRODUCTS
Page 97
Vegetable oils and products:
Oleomargarine:
Consumption (tax-paid withdrawals)
25, 671
• 33,139
thous. oflb__ 30,350 40,824 * 36,297
28,774 •27,890
31,824
32,000
28,371
29,812 x 29,991
Price, wholesale, standard, uncolored (Chi
.145
.145
.140
.145
cago)
dol. per lb._
.145
.134
.150
.138
.155
.158
.153
.150
.143
40,380 •36,208 " 40,974 32,662
Production
thous. of l b . . 30,319
25,512
28,516 ' 28,146
32,387
31, 092
28,718
30,221
30,373
ELECTRIC POWER
Page 99
Production, total
mil. of kw.-hr.
9,468
9,197
8,924
8,709
10,653
9,838
10,180
9,523
10,210
10,244
10,882
By source:
5,534
6,907
Fuel
do...
5,179
5,252
4,907
6,106
5,878
5,519
6,397
6,868
6,376
6,760
- 6,976
3,746
Water power
do...
3,934
3,527
3,645
3,678
3,530
3,342
3,783
3,830
4,017
3,462
3,484
-3,906
By type of producer:
9,864
Privately or municipally owned
do
8,404
8,929
9,035
8,156
9,650
9,019
8,710
8,571
9,314
10,332
9,690
Other producers
do.
789
539
553
597
604
487
511
520
524
531
554
'550
METALS AND MANUFACTURES
Pages 131,134,136,139
Pig iron and iron manufactures:
Castings, malleable:
Orders, new
'„_
..short tons.. 38,105
17,076
20,556
19,557
25,752
16,905
18,143
17,564
19,724
32,770
29,061
36,643
Production
_do.
35,372
18,894
19,252
25,799
16,630
18,680
21,902
29,460
18,077
17,097
29,970
3S, S02
35,351
Percent of capacity
43.5
23.1
22.7
23.5
31.3
20.2
21.7
26.0
20.8
4fi.O
36.4
34.8
43.0
Shipments
short tons.. 36,403
20,910
21,102
21,673
23,015
22,962
20,596
17,500
36,434
26.941
20,560
28,717
35,563
Steel, manufactured products:
Barrels and drums, steel, heavy type:
Orders, unfilled, end of month
number.. 438,746 530,507 484,905 498,917 448,567 399,085 448,176 361,750 378,675 445,310 374,454 248.376 519,375
Production
_do... 749,070 542.969 529,566 773,570 678,191 690,264 696.528 629,448 766,374 783,592 841,653 788,040 830.979
47.5
Percent of capacity
35.5
47.6
39.1
43.3
47.8
35.0
41.9
51.7
52.3
43.3
49.0
48.7
Shipments
.number. 746,510 542,278 533,715 771,313 680,180 696,738 685,453 622,155 771,283 759,188 865, 572 799,678 822,746
34,717
31,330
Stocks, end of month
do..,
35.756
34,089
26, 799
25,474
41,287
28,770
24,603
23,118
32,696
36,241
60,160
Boilers, steel, new orders:
602
1,077
475
739
Area.
thous. of sq. ft..
435
783
547
734
579
'892
717
552
1,256
585
Quantity
number..
700
1,124
1,063
1,125
'1,012
947
663
Nonferrous metals and products:
Babbit metal (white-base antifriction bearing
metals):
Consumption and shipments, total
1,382
1,714
1,234
1,510
1,177
1,305
1,225
1,106
thous. of lb_.
1,474
1,366
1,538
1,606
' 1,596
269
644
233
329
370
468
345
390
Consumed in own plants
do
509
453
508
648
'597
1,113
944
1,070
776
Shipments
_do_
837
881
1,120
857
1,021
1,030
958
Machinery and apparatus:
Foundry equipment:
Orders:
New
1922-24-= 100.. 122.5
77.6
79.3
114.7
62.2
90.8
75.3
90.6
87.9
78.7
83.4
141.9
89.7
Unfilled, end of month
do.
151.4
147.7
172.3
158.2
157.1
140.2
157.5
308.6
91.8
102.8
97.3
87.0
126.0
Shipments
do.
96.3
99.4
147.7
SO. 9
91.3
93.4
78.5
89.1
10.5.8
93.4
84.2
94.5
102.8
' Revised.
NOTE.—The data in the above tables present, in advance of the monthly, Survey of Current Business, such items as were received during the week ended Saturday,
March 4. These figures, like similar information in the table entitled "Monthly business statistics" In each monthly issue, should always be read in connection with the
detailed tables covering the respective items in the 1938 Supplement to the Surrey of Current Business, which contains a description of each series and a reference to the
source of the data. Series marked with an asterisk (*) are exceptions, representing additions since the 1938 Supplement was issued, and similar data, if published, will be
found in the monthly numbers indicated by the footnotes. Changes in the series are also indicated in the footnotes. The Survey of Current Business, including 12 monthly
Surveys of 56 pages each and the 52 Weekly Supplements, may be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. O.t for $2.00 per year. The 1938 Supplement may be obtained from the same source upon receipt of $0.40.
U.S. GOVERNMENT fRINTItte QfFICEi 193?
@FedFRASER