OTHER NEWS - May 31, 1996

Employment Advertising Falls in April: Declines in the Midwest, Southern and Pacific states were cited by the Conference Board in a monthly survey. The business research group’s tally of help-wanted ads shows strong demand in the mid-Atlantic and south Atlantic states, but not enough to compensate for the slackness elsewhere. An index based on survey results fell to 82 in April, down from a revised 84 reading in March. The index was 86 in April 1995. Calculated on a base of 100, the index is derived by measuring the volume of help-wanted ads in 51 major newspapers nationwide. Ad volume has proven to be a sensitive barometer of labor market conditions.