Graphic Arts Index
Staff -- graphic arts online, 3/1/2002
Based on trends through the first half of last year, it appears that the total dollar value of printing equipment shipped by U.S. manufacturers during 2001 was about 11% lower than during 2000. If so, this would represent a disappointing turnaround in the market after six consecutive years during which shipment values expanded. Shipments of graphic arts supplies were projected to be worth about 10% less in 2001 than during 2000, following a decline of 10.4% the year before. Weak demand growth for printed products and a strong dollar hasn't afforded U.S. manufacturers of printing machinery much pricing power. These conditions are likely to prevail throughout most of 2002.
| Actual Value | Annual % Change | |||||
| 12/99 | 11/00 | 12/00 | 2000 | 2001* | 2002* | |
| Employment (1) | ||||||
| Printing & Publishing | 1,555.0 | 1,563.3 | 1,562.1 | 0.2 | -1.0 | 0.8 |
| Commercial Printing | 568.4 | 565.1 | 563.5 | -0.8 | -0.5 | 0.6 |
| Average Hourly Earnings (2) | ||||||
| Printing & Publishing | 14.12 | 14.52 | 14.61 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Commercial Printing | 14.32 | 14.70 | 14.71 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| Printing Trades Machinery Prices (3) | ||||||
| Printing Presses, Offset Litho | 161.0 | 161.5 | 162.4 | -0.1 | 0.4 | 2.3 |
| Flexographic Presses, Sheet & Web | 186.2 | 185.4 | 185.4 | -0.4 | 0.2 | 1.4 |
| Binding Machinery & Equipment | 126.8 | 132.0 | 132.0 | 4.7 | -1.3 | 3.3 |
| 6/99 | 3/00 | 6/00 | 1999 | 2000* | 2001* | |
| Graphic Arts Machinery and Supplies Shipments (4) | ||||||
| Printing Equipment Shipments | 136.1 | 186.0 | 129.5 | 5.8 | -1.1 | 0.8 |
| Graphic Arts Supplies Shipments | 94.9 | 96.8 | 87.7 | -9.2 | -4.9 | 0.7 |
| (1) Thousands of employees; U.S. Department of Labor (2) Dollars per hour; U.S. Department of Labor (3) Producer Price Index; 1982=100; U.S. Department of Labor (4) Index, 1990=100; NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies *=Forecast |
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