European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 30, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Money matters the stars and stripes Page 17employment firm says Outlook Good for Many areas in . Milwaukee up the temporary employment firm manpower inc. Reported sunday that the Job Outlook in the United states appears to be improving everywhere except the West but new Job formation Likely will decline in the first Quarter of 1993. Nationally 17 percent of the 15,000 . Companies surveyed by manpower indicated they plan to expand their work Force next Quarter compared with 13 percent that plan staff reductions. Manpower a president Mitchell s. Fromstein said the reduction plans match historical Levels of the High growth 198490 period and Are Well below the first Quarter Levels in 1991 and 1992. A the work Force attrition seems to have come to a Stop and this is combined with projected work Force additions which surpass similar quarters of the past two years a Fromstein said. A with the exception of the weakness in the West the Overall picture seems to be improving. With seasonal adjustment the trend is clearly  Fromstein said the Best Job growth will be in the South with the Northeast showing improvement Over the last two years and the Midwest reflecting National trends. Higher than average net hiring increases arc expected in the durable and nondurable goods sectors services sector and by financial firms. Although the construction Industry traditionally shows a downturn in the first Quarter Fromstein said predictions for the first Quarter of 1993 arc not As dire As in recent years. Sonic 16 percent of the construction firms plan further hiring bolstered by brisk activity in the South while 22 percent predict work Force reductions. No improvement is seen in transportation and Public utilities with 13 percent of employers predicting further hiring and 11 percent foreseeing cutbacks. Fewer layoffs than usual Are anticipated for the wholesale and retail industries. Fromstein said prospects remain Good in the finance insurance and real estate industries but opportunities in the education Field Are limited. Nineteen percent of those surveyed predict staff expansion in the services sector while 9 percent forecast decreases. Manpower found few employers in the Public sector expressing optimism with 12 percent saying they will add employees and 14 percent saying they intend to Cut. Manpower has been conducting its employment Outlook Survey for 16 years. The Survey is based on Telephone interviews with 15.0 h Public and private employers in 468 . Cities. Manpower provides temporary jobs for 1.5 million people annually through 1,850 offices in 34 countries. Office workers account for More than half of its assignments. Shoppers clog sidewalks in new York City on the Day after thanksgiving when the Christmas shopping season traditionally starts. Check users ring in Holiday buying season with merry Rise in sales company reports monday november 30, 1992 in a today states following Are fixed rates at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell foreign currencies to . Personnel for personal use Carman mark1.56 British pound1.55 dutchguilder1.76 Graak drachma .202.6479 note the rates above apply within the Host country. Figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar following Are Interbank rates that fluctuate and should be regarded As the approximate value of the . Dollar to foreign Curren cies italian lira 1,399.50 turkish lira8,265.40 Spanish Caiata 115.88 portuguese atcudo.143.66 austrian Schilling .11.28 saudi rial3.7497 Bahrain dinar0.37675 Kuwait Dinar norwegian krona6.56 danish krona6.18 British Pound .1.509 German mark.1.602 Swiss franc 1.444 French franc.5.445 dutch guilder1.7965 belgian franc. 33.01 Canadian dollar1.285 note figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies o the Dollar Gold quote $333.75 an ounce Silver quote $3.75 an ounce six leading . Insurers reported ailing Washington a six of the nation s 73 Blue Cross Blue shield plans arc in financial trouble endangering the health insurance of nearly 15 million people the Washington Post said. The troubled insurers include the Empire plan of new York which has 10 million subscribers and the Washington  plan serving 1.1 million people in the capital area the newspaper reported sunday. Regulators and Blue Cross officials said they done to expect any of the troubled plans to collapse noting that the Overall condition of the Blue Cross system has improved markedly in recent years and that the number of plans in serious difficulty has declined the Post noted. The Chicago based National association said that its internal a watch list a a confidential listing of troubled plans has dropped from 14 Over the summer to six now and that it expects the situation to continue to improve. Still the Post said the future of the troubled plans remains unclear and even if one were to fail a As West Virginia a did two years ago a millions of people might be left with unpaid medical Bills and no insurance. Internal financial documents of the Blue Cross Blue shield National association showed that the financial picture is improving. For example All of the plans together earned $1.41 billion for the first nine months of this year while subsidiary businesses earned $179 million the Post reported. Sen. Sam Nunn d-ga., who is heading an investigation into the health of the Blue Cross system nonetheless expressed concern that a there Are a number of them in  in addition to the Washington and Empire new York plans the Post cited Blue Cross and Blue shield of Maryland Blue Cross and Blue shield of new Jersey Blue Cross and Blue shield of new Hampshire and Blue Cross of Vermont As those on the a watch  Houston up this years Christmas shopping season looks stronger than last years based on the number of items purchased by Check the Day after thanksgiving the nations largest Check acceptance company said saturday. Tel Check services said nationwide retail sales were up 5.1 percent Over last years figures on what traditionally is the first Day of the Holiday buying period. Tel Check estimated that total retail sales will be about 6 percen. Higher than last year during the thanksgiving to Christmas season a rate of increase significantly better than 1991�?Ts 1.8 percent improvement. The company which uses a Cross Sec Tion of its 100,000 subscribers to project Overall purchasing trends recorded its highest rate of increase in the Midwest we amp re retailers saw paid by Check sales jump 10.2 percent. The Southeast posted a 6.3 percent increase partly on the strength of a 13.2 percent increase in Miami and an 8.8 percent increase in Atlanta. Sales in the Southwest were up 5.4 percent with Dallas showing a 9.2 percent gain. Even the economically beleaguered Northeast and mid Atlantic regions saw growth 3.5 percent and 2 5 percent respectively. However sales in both new York and new Jersey were off from last years Levels. Thu West posted a 2.2 percent sales increase with san Francisco turning in a solid 9.3 percent jump and Portland rising 6 percent. The gains were offset by a 8.4 percent slide in san Diego and a 3 1 percent drop in eos Angeles. Quot although one Day does t make a season the percentage increase in National sales indicates that this seasons shopping should be better than last years said William Ford Tele Check a senior economic adviser. A retailers should do considerably better than the 1.8 percent increase recorded during the 1991 shopping season and probably will Post a National increase of about 6