Following a 1.5% increase in November, manufacturing sales fell 0.7% to $71.2 billion in December, mainly attributable to the motor vehicle industry group (-13.5%) as well as the chemical product subsector (-3.1%). Production of aerospace products and parts marked the largest increase, rising 10.6% to $2.5 billion in December. Total sales in constant dollars edged down 0.1% in December, while the Industrial Product Price Index fell 1.5% in December. On a quarterly basis, sales declined 1.6% to $213.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023, following a 1.3% increase in the third quarter. The transportation equipment ... (full story)