The figure was below market forecasts and perilously close to dipping below the 50 line that would signal a contraction in industrial activity.

这一数字低于市场预期而且已经危险地接近于标志着工业制造紧缩的50红线以下。

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Core Retail Sales figures which do not include automobiles came out even worse with a contraction figure of 0.5% for the same period.

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An index above 50 shows growth in manufacturing, while a figure below 50 implies a contraction.

BBC: US manufacturing hints at recovery

Figure 2 shows unit demand growth and contraction trends for various HDD applications from 2008 projected through 2012.

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