In the last three months, help-wanted advertising declined in all nine U.S. regions, with steepest declines in the West North Central (-25.9%), Pacific (-24.7%) and East North Central (-19.0%) regions.
Says Ken Goldstein, Labor Economist at The Conference Board: "There's no sign that improvement is just around the corner. The number of jobs fell in each of the first five months of the year. A prolonged period of slow economic growth and small employment declines is feeding a sense of frustration. Little wonder why consumer expectations are at an all-time low. Expect more of the same right through the summer and fall months."
