FRANKFURT -- Orders of printed circuit boards from German fabricators fell 8.5% year-over-year in April. Sales were down 1.8% for the month, reported the Central Association of the PCB and Electronic Systems.

Sales were around 10% higher than the average for April over the past six years, while bookings were up 7.5% over the six-year average. 

The book-to-bill ratio was 0.92 in April, meaning 92 euros worth of boards were ordered for every 100 euros worth of boards shipped. A ratio under 1.0 is considered a sign of future shipment contraction. It was the sixth straight month the ratio has dropped.

In the first four months of 2014, sales were up 3.6%, and bookings rose 10.3% over last year, ZVEI said.

The number of employees rose 2% for the month and more than 100 industry jobs have been added since the beginning of 2014.