SAN JOSE – North American manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.15 billion in orders in November and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.82, according to SEMI.
 
The three-month average of worldwide bookings was about 2% less than October and about 19% less than last year.
 
The three-month average of worldwide billings was $1.39 billion, about 6% less than October and down about 6% year-over-year.
 
"November orders are 19% below one year ago, and at levels last reported in late 2005,” said Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO of SEMI. “Semiconductor manufacturers have added a tremendous amount of 300-mm capacity over the past year. This, combined with the overall booking trends, indicates that investments will slow in the near-term, which is consistent with concerns about the economy as a whole.”