Graphic Arts Index

By Staff -- graphic arts online, 11/1/2002

The total dollar value of printing equipment shipped by U.S. manufacturers during the first half of 2002 was about 11% less than over the first six months of 2001, according to sales data recently released by NPES. Shipments of graphic arts supplies were estimated to be worth 8.6% less during January through June of this year than over the first half of 2001. Consequently, employment in the industry continued to fall during the first two-thirds of 2002; there continues to be very little evidence of any significant inflationary pressure building for equipment or supplies prices. Average hourly earnings for production and other non-supervisory workers in the industry are up just 2.1% over the past 12 months.

Supply Indicators

	Actual Monthly Value			Annual % Change
	8/01	7/02	8/02	2001	2002*	2003*
Employment (1)
Printing & Publishing	1,481.7	1,407.3	1,405.0	-3.7	-5.0	-1.1
Commercial Printing	538.8	512.0	510.4	-3.7	-4.8	-0.7
Average Hourly Earnings (2)
Printing & Publishing	14.88	15.15	15.19	2.9	2.4	3.0
Commercial Printing	15.21	15.33	15.39	2.6	1.8	2.8
Printing Trades Machinery Prices (3)
Printing Presses, Offset Litho	162.4	162.4	162.4	0.9	0.3	0.6
Printing Presses, Other than Litho	168.5	169.6	169.6	0.7	0.6	0.3
Binding Machinery & Equipment	133.0	137.0	137.0	1.6	2.7	3.3
Graphic Arts Machinery and Supplies Shipments (4)
	6/01	3/02	6/02	2001	2002*	2003*
Printing Equipment Shipments	114.7	173.3	108.3	-6.9	-9.3	3.0
Graphic Arts Supplies Shipments	81.2	69.7	71.9	-9.9	-6.7	-0.2
(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