Help-Wanted Index Falls: A widely watched measure...

Help-Wanted Index Falls: A widely watched measure of the labor market sent out weak signals in November, the Conference Board, a business research group, reported. The group said its Help-Wanted Index dropped six points in November, erasing almost all of October’s 5-point gain. The seasonally adjusted index fell to 145 in November from October’s 151. The jobless rate was 5.4% in November, up from 5.3% in October. The group said the rate may rise to 5.8% by June. The Help-Wanted Index is based on advertising volume in 51 major newspapers across the country.