21.   Looking ahead, analysts think government spending may slow during the rest of the year.

22.   National said orders continued to decline in the quarter, but that the rate of decrease had slowed during May.

23.   Orders also slowed during the traditionally slow summer months.

24.   One omen was that the rate of increase in earnings slowed during each quarter of last year, compared with a year earlier.

25.   Residential construction and consumer spending slowed during the quarter.

26.   Retail sales slowed during the weekend, after a strong start Friday.

27.   Sales of candies, particularly chocolate products, often slow during muggy summer months.

28.   Sales slowed during the holiday season.

29.   Sales typically slow during June, which falls between the spring season and the back-to-school rush.

30.   Sales of kitchen cabinets and other big-ticket items slowed during the third quarter as customers bought paint, carpeting and energy-saving products instead.