SAN JOSE — The 90-day moving average sales of semiconductors rose 2.5% sequentially in March to $25.3 billion worldwide.

Sales for the month were up 8.6% year-over-year to $24.7 billion, the Semiconductor Industry Association said.

For the first quarter ended March 31, sales reached $75.8 billion, up 8.6% over last year and 0.4% sequentially.

“At the close of the first quarter of this year we are very encouraged by the performance of the global and domestic semiconductor industry,” said SIA president Brian Toohey. “Now more than ever, it’s clear that the semiconductor industry is a force driving the US economy forward and out of the recent recession.”

The industry is on track to outpace the growth forecasts of the US economy due to increased consumer and business demand for high-quality electronics products and the pervasive application of integrated circuits throughout most industries, SIA said. Additionally, stabilization of infrastructure and ongoing recovery efforts in Japan have mitigated some of the impact that the mid-March natural disaster could have had on the semiconductor markets.

Semiconductors are considered a leading indicator for future printed circuit board and electronics equipment demand.

Table 1. Global Semiconductor Sales, March 2011

In $billions. Sources: SIA, Global WSTS

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