Graphic Arts Index
By Staff -- graphic arts online, 3/1/2003
The total dollar value of printing equipment shipped by U.S. manufacturers during the first three quarters of 2002 was 10.4% less than during the first nine months of 2001. Following seven straight years of increasing value, the dollar value of equipment shipments had fallen by about 7% between 2000 and 2001. Shipments of graphic arts supplies were estimated to be worth 8.4% less during January through September of this past year than over the first three quarters of 2001, following a loss of 6.7% between 2000 and 2001. Employment in the industry continued to fall during 2002, while wage inflation eased a bit for printers during 2002.
| Actual Monthly Value | Annual Percent Change | |||||
| 12/01 | 11/02 | 12/02 | 2002 | 2003* | 2004* | |
| Employment (1) | ||||||
| Printing & Publishing | 1,453.3 | 1,406.7 | 1,405.7 | -5.4 | -1.1 | 0.3 |
| Commercial Printing | 529.5 | 511.5 | 510.4 | -4.5 | -0.8 | 0.6 |
| Average Hourly Earnings (2) | ||||||
| Printing & Publishing | 15.04 | 15.33 | 15.40 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.9 |
| Commercial Printing | 15.34 | 15.54 | 15.55 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.7 |
| Printing Trades Machinery Prices (3) | ||||||
| Printing Presses, Offset Litho | 162.4 | 162.4 | 162.4 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.3 |
| Printing Presses, Other Than Litho | 168.5 | 169.4 | 169.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Binding Machinery & Equipment | 133.0 | 137.1 | 137.1 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 3.7 |
| Graphic Arts Machinery and Supplies Shipments (4) | ||||||
| 9/01 | 6/02 | 9/02 | 2002 | 2003* | 2004* | |
| Printing Equipment Shipments | 112.3 | 108.3 | 101.9 | -10.7 | 0.4 | 2.8 |
| Graphic Arts Supplies Shipments | 75.0 | 70.8 | 67.1 | -9.4 | -5.8 | -0.6 |
| (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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