Thinking about replacing those threadbare and squeaky office chairs? Hold off a bit on it, and you could save a bundle. The office furniture industry is as healthy as a broken desk drawer, says the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association.

After healthy growth in 2006 and 2007, year-to-date orders and shipments are slumping and production has dropped 3.5%.

The final results for 2008 won’t be pretty, experts say. It looks like orders will be off 2.4% and shipments will fall nearly 4%.

But 2009 looks downright ugly, according to the trade group:

• Production is forecast to drop 10.4%
• Total sales is projected to fall 9.2%

So if you can afford to hold off on those office furniture purchases until next year, you should be able to get more bang for your buck.

Tags: forecast, production, purchases