
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, September 4, 1993                   TAG: 9309040061
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

LEADING INDICATORS SHOW SLIP IN JULY

The government's barometer of future economic activity slipped 0.1 percent in July, continuing an erratic course that analysts said suggests little strength in the economy for the rest of the year.

The Commerce Department said Friday the dip in its Index of Leading Economic Indicators erased a meager 0.1 percent gain in June.

Seven indicators fell in July, while four rose:

An increase in the average workweek of nonsupervisory factory workers, from 41.2 hours in June to 41.4 hours in July.

An advance in the number of building permits.

An increase in the money supply.

Rising prices for raw materials, indicating growing demand.

A drop in consumer confidence, as measured by a University of Michigan index.

A decline in orders to factories for consumer goods.

An increase in new claims for unemployment benefits, from an average of 386,000 a week in June to 400,000 in July.

Fewer new orders and contracts for new commercial buildings and business equipment.

A decrease in business delivery times.

A drop in stock prices.

A decline in the inflation-adjusted backlog of unfilled orders at factories.

by CNB