Help Wanted Index Unchanged at 19
The Conference Board’s Help Wanted Index was unchanged at 19 in April, matching the all-time low reached last month.
The index was down 10 points on a y-o-y basis as help-wanted advertising declined in all 9 US regions. The biggest drops were in New England (-26.8%), the South Atlantic region (-20.5%) and the Pacific region (-19.8%), according to the Conference Board.
“The economy is still weak and job losses will likely continue through the summer at a slow pace. While it won’t get much worse, it will be a while before things get better,” said Conference Board labor economist Ken Goldstein.
Offering a potential explanation for the 16yr low in Consumer Confidence, Goldstein said the “prolonged period of slow economic growth and no job growth is feeding a sense of frustration.”