
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, October 21, 1993                   TAG: 9310210099
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

LABOR DEMAND FALLS A BIT

An index measuring labor demand fell slightly in September but remains well above year-earlier levels, the Conference Board said Wednesday.

The New York business research organization said its Help-Wanted Index registered 101 points in September, down from 103 in August but up from 89 points in September 1992.

In the South Atlantic area, which includes Virginia, the index was 104 points last month, 109 in August and 93 in September 1992.

The index is based on classified jobs advertising volume in 51 major U.S. newspapers and is considered a valid measure of the regional and national supply of jobs.

"Labor market improvement, though modest, continues," said Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein.

"Most of the regions have solid improvement compared with a year ago," he said. "The lone exception is the troubled Pacific region, which is modestly lower this September than a year ago."

- Staff Report

by CNB