Business inventories in December 2009 were down 0.2 percent from the prior month and were down 9.7 percent from the year before to $1,310.7 billion. Sales increased 0.9 percent from November and were up 4.7 percent from December 2008 to $1,040.4 billion.

Retail sales in January 2010 increased 0.5% from December, to $355.8 billion. This was 4.7% above the January 2009 level. Excluding autos, retail sales rose 0.6% from the previous month and increased 4.6% from the prior year, to $295.5 billion.

New orders for manufacturing goods in December 2009 increased 1.0 percent to $370.4 billion. Shipments rose 1.9 percent, unfilled orders declined 1.0 percent and inventories declined by 0.1 percent from November 2009.

Construction spending was $902.5 billion in December 2009, 1.2 percent below November 2009 and 9.9 percent below December 2008. Construction spending in all of 2009 was 12.4 percent below 2008.

New orders for manufactured goods in December 2009 increased 0.3% to $167.9 billion from November. For 2009 as a whole, new orders for manufactured goods declined 20.2%. Excluding transportation, new orders rose 0.9% in December 2009 to $130.6 billion from November.  Total shipments increased 2.9% in December.