Conference Board AUG Help Wanted Index at 23 vs 24 Consensus and 25 reading in July
The Conference Board reports its Help Wanted Index fell to 23 in, the third month in a row of lower Help Wanted Advertising and down from a 29 reading last AUGUST. The Conference Board reports all nine reporting regions declined with the largest loss in New England which fell 25.4%, followed by the South Atlantic Region, down 18.4% and the Mid-Atlantic Region which was down 16.9%. The downturn in the index is attributed to the housing market slump with significantly less buying and building occurring, higher gas prices, tighter credit conditions and a loss of consumer confidence.