Chip sales drop bodes ill for local jobs

Worldwide sales of semiconductors fell to $20.8 billion in November, a 9.8 percent drop from a year earlier. This marks the second month of sliding sales for an industry that employs more than 2,500 people in Clark County.

“The worldwide economic crisis is having an impact on demand for semiconductors,” said George Scalise, president of the Semiconductor Industry Association, which tracks the industry.

The drop has not been consistent across all chip sectors, Scalise said. Memory products have been particularly hard hit, according to the SIA.

Among Clark County manufacturers that are part of the chip industry are WaferTech, Linear Technology and SEH America.

Year-over-year chip sales changes for each month of 2008:
January: up 0.03 percent
February: up 1.5 percent
March: up 3.4 percent
April: up 5. percent
May: up 7.5 percent
June: up 8 percent
July: up 7.6 percent
August: up 5.5 percent
September: up 4 percent
October: down 2.4 percent
November: down 9.8 percent