Inflation Slows, But Jobless Rate Creeps Upward: Unemployment Rate ...
The government published new figures yesterday suggesting possible improvement in the nationÛªs inflation outlook, but a corresponding worsening in the job picture.</br></br>1.4	percent in March, an 18.2 percent compound annual rate but still down from the 1.5 percent increase in Feb ruarv and 1.6 percent in January.</br></br>More important, there was dramatic improvement In prices charged at the intermediate stage of processing and for crude materials, which affect wholesale prices in later months.</br></br>At the same time, however, the nationÛªs unemployment rate bounced back to 6.2 percent of the work force in March, from 6 percent in February, while the number of jobs in the economy declined appreciably for the first time in months.</br></br>Although the March increase in the jobless rate was small, there were signs that it could prove to be the start of the long-expected recession. Most of the added unemployment resulted from layoffs.