OTTAWA - A Statistics Canada report says household spending offset declines in new orders for manufactured goods and the housing index to leave the composite leading index unchanged in June.

That after the composite leading index made gains of 0.1 per cent in April and 0.2 per cent in May.

Statistics Canada says average hourly earnings have grown by 4.4 per cent since June 2007, twice the rate of inflation from May 2007 to May 2008.

Employment growth at factories resumed in May and June as the average workweek also stabilized in these two months.

The agency says the growing importance in manufacturing of the aerospace industry, in which orders tend to vary from month to month, triggered fluctuations in new orders for manufactured goods.

The U.S. Conference Board leading index fell 0.1 per cent for its smallest decline since October 2007 as gains in manufacturing orders helped offset lower consumer confidence and building permits.

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