Business Week Index: THE WEEK AHEAD

BusinessWeek Index: THE WEEK AHEAD

EMPLOYMENT COSTS

Tuesday, Apr. 25, 8:30 a.m. Labor costs for workers in private industry

probably increased by 0.7% in the first quarter, the same small gain as in the

fourth quarter of 1994. If so, the cost of total wages and benefits would have

risen just 2.9% in the year ended in the first quarter, the slowest growth in

compensation in almost eight years. Increases in both wages and benefits are

slowing.

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

Tuesday, Apr. 25, 10 a.m. The Conference Board's index of consumer confidence

likely slipped to 100 in April, from a reading of 101 in March. That's the

median forecast of economists surveyed by MMS International, a division of

McGraw-Hill Inc. Consumers have become increasingly worried about the economy's

performance six months down the road. The expectations index has fallen for

three consecutive months. The assessment of present business conditions has

continued to rise, bolstered by healthy job markets.

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT

Friday, Apr. 28, 8:30 a.m. The MMS median forecast projects that the real

gross domestic product grew at a 2.7% annual rate in the first quarter. That's

about half of the 5.1% pace in the fourth quarter. Consumer spending and

residential construction slowed, but inventory accumulation continued to barrel

along. A big wild card will be foreign trade, which could subtract

substantially from real GDP growth. Inflation last quarter, as measured by the

GDP price deflator, probably rose 2.7% at an annual rate, not much different

from the fourth quarter.

DURABLE GOODS ORDERS

Friday, Apr. 28, 8:30 a.m. New orders taken by durable goods manufacturers

probably dropped by 0.5% in March, after falling 0.8% in February. That would

be the first back-to-back decline in the data in two years. Weakening demand

for consumer durable goods is dampening overall factory orders.