BANNOCKBURN, IL – Total North American EMS shipments in April were down 2.1% from last April, according to IPC's findings from its North American EMS Statistical Program.

April shipments decreased 1.9% compared to March's shipments. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.42.

EMS bookings in April increased 33.6% year-over-year and increased 16% from the previous month.

“Strong orders this month have pulled the EMS Book-to-Bill to its highest level since February 2022,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist.

The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to twelve months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.