Inventories held by U.S. business, a group that in addition to manufacturing includes retailers and merchant wholesalers, totaled a seasonally adjusted $1.294 trillion at the end of November 2005, the most recent month for which data are available, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Jan. 13. The November month-end level was half a percentage point higher than October's month-end $1.287 trillion.
Manufacturing's November month-end inventories were $467.1 billion, up two-tenths of a percentage point from October's month-end mark. Retailers' inventories were $467.7 billion, up nine-tenths percent from October's mark, and merchant wholesalers' inventories were $358.6 billion, up four-tenths of a percent.
