There were fewer help-wanted ads in December.

It was the third consecutive month that the volume of help-wanted ads appearing in major newspapers nationwide had declined, the Conference Board reported. The business information group reported that its help-wanted advertising index stood at 145 in December, two points below November’s index but the same reading as December, 1985. The index measures the volume of classified advertising in 51 major newspapers across the country and reflects changes in the demand for labor as well as general business conditions.