· The Conference Board’s National Index of Help-Wanted Advertising improved to 39 last month, the highest level since March.

· During the last ten years there has been a 92% correlation between the level of help-wanted advertising and the year-to-year change in non-farm payrolls.

· The proportion of labor markets with rising want-ad volume surged to 73%, the highest level since June.

· Indexes of help wanted improved throughout the country, but most notably in the South and Mountain regions.

· The Conference Board surveys help-wanted advertising volume in 51 major newspapers across the country every month.
  

Oct

Nov '02

· During the last twenty years there has been a 62% correlation between the y/y change in livestock commodity prices and the change in consumer prices for meats, poultry & fish.

· Firming industrial activity has lifted prices for industrial commodities. Stainless steel scrap prices have risen 62% this year and copper prices surged 47%. Aluminum prices are up 17%.

· During the last twenty years there has been a 45% correlation between the y/y change in metals prices as measured by the Journal of Commerce/ECRI index and the change in factory sector industrial production.

· Gold prices surged to the highest level since 1996. The rise was accompanied by strength in silver (+22.6% y/y) and platinum (+37.1% y/y) prices.    

· During the last twenty years there has been a 41% correlation between the level of gold prices and the y/y change in the CPI.

12/24/03

12/31/02

Y/Y

2002

2001

2000