SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Global sales of semiconductors fell 16 percent in August to $19.1 billion compared to a year ago, according to an industry report Friday.
But chip sales rose by 5 percent from the previous month, with strength in all geographic regions, the Semiconductor Industry Association said. It is the sixth straight month of sequential ssales growth, boosted by demand for energy efficient products, from cars to home appliances.
Also helping fuel chip sales is the growing popularity of netbook PCs, which now comprise 17 percent of the PC market. Consumers now make up half of PC sales while business spending on computers continue to see a slow recovery.
For the first eight months of 2009, sales fell by 21.3 percent to $133.8 billion compared to the same period last year.
The group uses a three-month moving average to calculate monthly sales figures.