WHAT: The third quarter ended on a very positive note, as the Current Conditions for September recorded a value of 83, its second highest level for 2015 so far. It’s also the index average for the third quarter. Not only did 10 of the 12 indicators improve, more importantly, September marked the seventh month for which the index has either matched or exceeded its year-earlier value.

WHO: URI Professor of Economics Leonard Lardaro, creator and author of the Current Conditions Index.

WHEN: Monday, November 9, 2015

HOW: Use attached information, including summary and charts prepared by Lardaro for news reports. He is available for broadcast and print interviews. The new information and other historical information can also be found on Lardaro’s web site at http://www.llardaro.com/current.htm. Lardaro will be blogging about the new labor data during the coming weeks. You can find his discussion and charts at http://rieconomy.blogspot.com.

FOR INFORMATION: Leonard Lardaro, office, 401-874-4128, home, 401-783-9563

Dave Lavallee, URI Department of Communications and Marketing, 401-874-2116.

BACKGROUND: The Current Conditions Index, created by Lardaro, measures the strength of the present economic climate in Rhode Island by following the behavior of 12 indicators.