The labor market has been expanding throughout 1996, but in a very uneven pattern. Recent want-ad figures indicate that conservative hiring plans are keeping job growth below the rate of overall economic activity. |
The labor market indicators reflect a loss of economic momentum, even eliminating the impact of the storms and flooding. |
The labor market indicators turned a little more positive this summer. |
The labor market may finally be hitting bottom. While layoffs remain large, they are no longer intensifying. Job advertising volume has stopped declining, although it remains at very low levels. |
The labor market picture remains a bit cloudy. There are some bright spots where the job market may be picking up, but it's by no means a clear picture. |
The labor market picture remains cloudy. |
The labor market remains on a high plateau that has prevailed in the last year and a half. |
The latest leading indicator readings suggest some slowing in the pace of economic activity through this summer. |
The latest readings on print want-ad volume suggest that job growth won't reach the 200,000-a-month pace for at least the next few months. |
The Leading Economic Index suggests that this period of slower growth will probably continue for the next few months. |
The Leading Economic Index, however, rose sharply in three of the last four months. That could be a signal of a faster pace this spring. |
The leading economic indicators began to lose a little momentum before the hurricanes and flooding. Domestically, business investment appeared to be headed toward a moderate pace in the third quarter. |
The Leading Economic Indicators have been anything but consistent -- flat to declining from July through September, and recovering in October and November. |
The leading economic indicators suggest moderate growth into the fall. |
The leading indicators are cooling off from the rapid pace registered at the end of last year. This is not the kind of performance to be expected when gross domestic product grew by 5.2 percent, as it did in the second quarter of 2000. |