A leading indicator forecasting employment changes fell in February, signaling upcoming job losses in the near term, according to think tank The Conference Board.
The Conference Board’s Employment Trends Index (ETI), which forecasts potential shifts in the job market, declined to 108.56 in February from 109.45 in January, the group said in a March 10 statement. A decline in the index suggests employment is likely to fall. “The ETI fell in February to its lowest level since October,” said Mitchell Barnes, economist at The Conference Board.
“Growing policy uncertainty is beginning to weigh on business and consumer sentiment, with more substantial impacts from federal layoffs and funding disruptions expected in the months ahead.”…