Employment Forecast

* People looking for management and professional jobs will continue to find themselves in demand during the first half of 1998, reports Management Recruiters International, an employment firm that surveyed 4,300 executives about their hiring plans. MRI found there would be demand for middle to upper management and professionals in just about every major industry, with the biggest demand in the telecommunications and information technology businesses. Demand was expected to be strong in all parts of the nation, particularly in the West, Middle Atlantic and the New England region.

The Cost of Doing Business

* The big salaries that American executives earn and the amount of taxes corporations pay make the United States the second-most- expensive country for starting or operating a business, reports the Economist Intelligence Unit, a business information firm. Germany, which has high wages and taxes, is the most expensive country, the EIU said. Belgium is in third place, followed by Britain and France. The cheapest country for setting up or running a business was South Africa, which has low wages and low rents.

Talking and Driving

* Most cellular phone owners know it’s dangerous to use their phones while they drive, but many of them nonetheless make calls while they’re rolling along. The Insurance Research Council surveyed more than 2,000 adults and found that 84% of cell phone owners believe that using a phone while driving is a distraction and increases the likelihood of an accident. But 61% said they used their phones at least sometimes while they drive. “The urge to mix talking on the phone with driving on the road is a powerful combination which few can totally resist,” said Terrie Troxel, executive director of the council.

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TIP SHEET

This is the golden age of auto leasing, says Automobile magazine, which predicts leasing will account for at least 30% of new cars and trucks produced during 1998. The magazine says leasing may work for shoppers who don’t want to put a lot of cash down, want lower monthly payments and like to drive a new car every few years. But it won’t work for people who expect to drive more than the number of miles specified in a lease, who don’t like to maintain a vehicle or who might want to make changes to it.