By: (AP) An index tracking the number of help-wanted ads in U.S. newspapers declined slightly in December -- a possible indicator that economic activity wasn't enough to inspire any job growth in the late part of the year.
The Conference Board's Help-Wanted Index slipped to 39 in December from 40 in November, the group reported Thursday. The index was at 47 in December 2001.
For the fourth quarter of 2002, help-wanted advertising posted declines in all nine U.S. regions that the index tracks.
The steepest declines were in the Mid-Atlantic, which dropped 20.2%; the region comprising Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, which declined 13.2%; and New England, which dropped 9.5%.
"The labor market was flat at the end of 2002. This describes an economy in a 'soft spot' and shows few signs of any developing momentum," said Ken Goldstein, an economist at the Conference Board.
The index tracks help-wanted ad volume in 51 major newspapers across the United States every month.
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