6 districts felt that the economy had firmed and was showing signs of improvement. Labour conditions remained weak however an uptick in temp. hiring and less layoffs were being noted. Consumer prices remained steady pretty much across the districts and retail sales remained flat, although two districts reported downward pressure. Wage pressures remained minimal in most areas. Improvements were noted in manufacturing, construction was still falling and demand for commercial property was weak. Housing markets also remained weak although they did show signs of slight improvement. Loan demands are week and credit standards remain tight. Euro-dollar still continues to edge lower following the Beige Book release trading now at 1.4537/40