Those signs, along with the stock market, which approaches year's end at near-record levels, point to continued economic expansion, economists said.

With unemployment at near-record levels, joblessness inevitably became the top issue.

The town of Metkovic was also flooded as the river reached a near-record high level.

On July 26 the heat reached near-record levels over Iraq.

Both measures are at near-record levels, but not so high as to inhibit spending, thanks mainly to low interest rates.

Teacher retirements have been at near-record levels in recent years, the result of an aging workforce.

Attendance numbers were also at near-record levels as more than 287,000 people flooded into Broadway theaters to take in a show.

As a result of this heavy rain, many rivers rose to record or near-record levels.

Japan's unemployment rate edged down last month from near-record levels, the Government said yesterday.

The industry's losses were $3.8 billion in the third quarter, a near-record level.