Help-Wanted Index Flat in April

Washington, DC, May 30, 2008--The Conference Board's Help-Wanted Advertising Index was unchanged in April.

The group said its index remains at 19, the same level as in March, but down 10 points from one year ago.

The Conference Board is the global business research and membership organization.

In the last three months, help-wanted advertising declined in all nine U.S. regions. Steepest declines occurred in the New England (-26.8 percent), South Atlantic (-20.5 percent) and Pacific (-19.8 percent) regions.

Says Ken Goldstein, labor economist at 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. The prolonged period of slow economic growth and no job growth is feeding a sense of frustration. This is why consumer confidence is at a 16-year low."