Inventories Steady, Sales Rise in March

WASHINGTON — Businesses held inventories steady while increasing sales in March, the Commerce Department said Monday.

Analysts said the report indicated little threat of production cutbacks or loss of jobs.

Shelf and back-lot inventories were unchanged at a seasonally adjusted $794 billion.

Backlogs fell a revised 0.4% in February and risen 0.3% in January. February inventories originally were reported to have fallen 0.4%.

Sales rose 0.6% to a seasonally adjusted $539.1 billion following gains of 1.4% in February and 0.4% in January. The February increase was first reported at 1.3%.

The decline in inventories was greatest in the manufacturing sector, dropping 0.3% for the second straight month.