BANNOCKBURN, IL – December PWB shipments fell 14.5% year-over-year and bookings slid 21.1%.

For the month, rigid shipments fell 14.2% and bookings dropped 24.5% from 2007. Flex shipments dropped 17.1% and orders rose 23.8%.

About 86% of shipments reported were domestically produced; the rest were brokered.

The data are tracked and reported by IPC.

Bare boards accounted for approximately 68% of the flex shipment value reported for the month, with assembly and other services making up the rest.

For the year, shipments rose 1.1% and bookings slipped 5.3%. The book-to-bill ratio dipped to 0.90. A ratio of more than 1.0 suggests demand is considered an indicator of coming sales growth. In 2008 rigid shipments dropped 0.9% and flex shipments rose 3.4%. Rigid PCBs represent an estimated 90% of the North American market.

Sequentially, rigid shipments fell 0.9% and bookings dropped 4.6%. The rigid book-to-bill ratio fell to 0.89. Flex shipments were up 23.7% and flex bookings jumped 99.9%. The book-to-bill ratio was 1.08.