Vienna, Va. – Newspaper advertising expenditures for the third quarter 2003 totaled $10.9 billion, an increase of 1.5 percent over the same period last year, according to preliminary estimates from the Newspaper Association of America. Total ad spending in newspapers for the first nine months was $31.8 billion, up 1.6 percent from the same period last year. National advertising led the way with an 8.2 percent increase, to $1.9 billion in the third quarter, boosted by gains in telecommunications and computer equipment. Retail advertising spending edged up 0.8 percent to $5.1 billion, helped along by increases in food store, furniture store and building material store ads. Classified slipped 0.5 percent to $3.8 billion. Within the classified category in the third quarter, real estate ad spending had the largest percentage gain, up 7.5 percent to $1 billion. Automotive advertising grew 2.2 percent to $1.2 billion. Recruitment advertising dropped 10.7 percent to $940 million, and all other classifieds slipped 0.5 percent to $684 million. “The growth in these key categories shows newspapers’ continuing appeal to advertisers as an effective national advertising platform,” said NAA President and CEO John F. Sturm. “Newspapers are in a good position as we start the fourth quarter and enter the holiday season. As the market shows signs of recovery, we fully expect ad spending to gain even more momentum and continue this trend toward improvement in 2004. In particular, we are anticipating gains in help wanted as the economy begins to add jobs.” For the first nine months of 2003, national rose 8.4 percent to $5.7 billion, retail advertising expenditures gained 1.6 percent to $15.1 billion and classified fell 1.6 percent to $11 billion. In the classified category for the first nine months, real estate increased 8.3 percent to $2.7 billion, automotive rose 1.9 percent to $3.5 billion, recruitment dropped 12.3 percent to $2.8 billion and all other classified dipped 3.1 percent to $1.8 billion. “We look forward to an improving picture in recruitment advertising as job growth begins to take hold in the fourth quarter and into next year” said NAA Vice President of Business Analysis and Research Jim Conaghan.