SAN JOSE – The 90-day moving average sales of semiconductors rose 5.4% sequentially to $16.5 billion worldwide in May, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported.

May sales were down 23.2% year-over-year, but it's the third straight month of growth for the sector.

 

“The May sales numbers reflect the third-consecutive month of sequential growth for the semiconductor industry,” said SIA president George Scalise in a statement. “The sequential monthly increases lead us to be cautiously optimistic about a return to normal seasonal patterns for the industry going forward.”

 

Scalise noted that as semiconductors become ever-more pervasive in a growing array of products, the global microchip industry increasingly mirrors the performance of the overall economy. “As consumer confidence returns and the economy resumes growth, we expect the industry to reflect those patterns,” Scalise said.