The Conference Board's Help-Wanted Advertising Index - a barometer of America's
job market - dipped two points in March. The index now stands at 38, down from
40 in February. It was 45 one year ago.
In the last three months, help-wanted advertising declined in five of the nine
U.S. regions. Declines occurred in the East North Central (-2.1 percent), West
North Central (-12.8 percent), Pacific (-10.2 percent), West South Central (-5.1
percent), and East South Central (-21.2) regions. Increases occurred in the
Mountain (33.1 percent), New England (16.4 percent), South Atlantic (1.9 percent),
and Middle Atlantic (2.4 percent) regions.
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as the Rocky Mountain and New England) starting to gain momentum while a few
others (such as the East North Central and Pacific Coast) are still suffering
declines, with the rest of the country stuck in the middle," says Conference
Board Economist Ken Goldstein. "The delayed recovery in the job market
now suggests that the earliest the labor market will snap back to life will
be later this year or even early next year."
The Conference Board surveys help-wanted advertising volume in 51 major newspapers
across the country every month. According to the organization, because ad volume
has proven to be sensitive to labor market conditions, this measure provides
a gauge of change in the local, regional and national supply of jobs.
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March 03
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Feb. 03
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Jan. 03
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March 02
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National Index
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38
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40
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41
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45
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|
Proportion of Labor Markets
With rising Want-ad Volume
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49 %
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41 %
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55 %
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45 %
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