Manufacturing sales were up 5.3 per cent June to July in this province. Statistics Canada says nationally, there was a rise of seven per cent. Compared to July a year ago, sales here were down 14.4 per cent. Nationally, the average was a decline of 6.9 per cent. Total sales in Saskatchewan were $1.13 billion dollars in July.

In the Saskatoon census metropolitan area sales fell 2.6 per cent month to month and rose marginally at 0.1 per cent year to year. Nationally, sales rose one percent in both categories. In Saskatoon, total sales rang in at $299 million.