The Conference Board Employment Trends Index (ETI) increased 0.3

percent from the revised August number, the first increase since

January 2008. The index now stands at 88.5 and is down 15.6 percent

from a year ago.

"While the employment numbers reported by the government last Friday

were certainly disappointing, The Conference Board Employment Trends

Index suggests that the trend of declining job losses will continue,"

said Gad Levanon, Senior Economist at The Conference Board. "But the

road to recovery is definitely going to be bumpy and may last

unusually long, given the depth of the recession we have experienced."

This month's increase in the Employment Trends Index was driven by

a positive contribution from four out of the eight components. The

improving indicators were Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance,

Percentage of Firms With Positions Not Able to Fill Right Now,

Industrial Production and Real Manufacturing and Trade Sales.

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