NEW YORK, July 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. leading and lagging indexes fell slightly in June, a research group said Monday.
The Conference Board said the indexes measuring future and past economic conditions declined in the month, while the coincident index gained modestly.
The leading index fell 0.1 percent, indicating a soft economy.
It was the second consecutive month of declines in the leading index with declines in average work weeks in manufacturing and manufacturing orders. Stock prices and initial job loss claims also made "very large negative contributions" to the leading index, the report said.
The lagging index dropped 0.3 percent while the coincident index, which measures current conditions gained slightly, up 0.1 percent with gains in industrial output offsetting a decline in employment.
In the first half of the year, the coincident index has dropped 0.3 percent, the report said.
