BANNOCKBURN, IL – Total North American EMS shipments in June were down 2.4% compared to the same month last year, according to IPC's North American EMS Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.32.

Compared to the preceding month, June shipments decreased 3.3%.

EMS bookings in June decreased 3.5% year-over-year and decreased 2.8% from the previous month.

“EMS shipments were weak in June, but an even lower order flow kept the book-to-bill ratio stable, masking building weakness in the EMS sector,” 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.