The Conference Board Help-Wanted Advertising Index dipped to 31 points last month, from January’s 32, the nonprofit business research organization said today. A year ago, the index stood at 39.
In the last three months, help-wanted advertising increased in seven of the board’s nine regions, led by the East South Central region, where the index rose 36.2 percent. New England gained 16.9 percent in the quarter. Fewer ads were seen in the Pacific region (down 4.7 percent) and the Middle Atlantic (down 2.3 percent).
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“The forward indicators of labor market activity were positive at the end of 2006,” said Conference Board Economist Ken Goldstein, “but the picture is more mixed now.
“Print job advertising was lower in February. Online ad volume has maintained its pace. Unemployment claims edged higher in February and early March. And consumer expectations of job opportunities dipped in March. This suggests employment growth may continue, but probably at a more modest pace, through spring and early summer.”
Total online help-wanted ads – reported by The Conference Board on March 5 – grew last month to 3.824 million, an increase of 22 percent from January and 18 percent from February 2006, today’s report noted.
In New England, online ads rose by 18 percent last month, to 5.9 percent above the level a year ago. Rhode Island’s online help-wanted ads grew 11 percent last month, to 31 percent below their level in February 2006.
The Conference Board Help-Wanted Advertising Index measures help-wanted advertising volume in 51 major newspapers each month. Additional information is available at www.conference-board.org.
