After bottoming at a seasonally adjusted annual sales rate of 9 million cars and light trucks in 2/09, car sales increased almost nonstop through 10/15 when sales hit 18.1 million. Since then, only in 12/16 did sales exceed 18 million, last month they were 16.7 million. Moreover, employment has also peaked. After car and car-parts manufacturing bottomed at 623,000 persons in 6/09, employment has been flat at 940,000 since 4/16.