FRANKFURT, GERMANY – German region PCB manufacturers reported fourth quarter sales down 4.9% year-over-year, while 2018 sales grew 1.4%, says ZVEI.

Orders in the fourth quarter were down 4.8% year-over-year. For the year, orders were down 6.1%.

Orders declined in the first and second quarters, with massive corrections in the third quarter, according to ZVEI. The firm attributes this to component shortages and a fall in demand in the automotive industry. These bottlenecks will continue in 2019, impacting ordering activities, the firm says.

The book-to-bill ratio reached 1.06 in the fourth quarter, meaning 106 euros worth of orders were placed for every 100 euros shipped. The final 2018 ratio was 0.98.

In the fourth quarter, the number of employees was up 2.1% year-over year and down 1.1% sequentially. Over 2018, 5.2% more staff were employed than in 2017.

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