US help-wanted index edges upward in June

After plummeting to its lowest level for the year in May, the Conference Board's help- wanted advertising index made a slight recovery in June. At 115 (1967 equals 100), the seasonally adjusted index rose three points above last month's reading of 112 but still stands 55 points below the 1979 high of 167 registered last October.

The help-wanted index measures the volume of classified advertising in 51 major newspapers across the United States. It is sensitive to changes in the demand for labor, as well as general business conditions.

While want-ad volume rose in seven of the nine regions measured, the Pacific region remained stable and the West North Central declined by 2.5 percent. The greatest percentage gain of 8.1 percent was recorded by the South Atlantic region, followed by the Middle Atlantic (6.2 percent), the West South Central (3 .2 percent), the East South Central (2.9 percent), the Mountain region (2.6 percent), the New England region (1.9 percent) and the East North Central (1.9 percent).