Business leaders hope the moderate inflation figures will lead the central bank to cut interest rates in the coming months.

In addition, the company said it was restructuring and would cut 10 percent of its work force in the next three months.

Existing employees who had seen their hours cut back in the slow months of 1993 are again working full time.

G.M.'s failure to sell small cars could put pressure on the company to cut back production in the months ahead.

The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate four times in the months after the attacks.

It is under orders to cut one-sixth of its expenses in the next 18 months.

It cut those fares an additional 8 percent on average in the last three months of 2002.

And it suggests that there is more leeway now for the Fed to cut rates further in the months ahead.

Also, airlines may well cut fuel surcharges in the coming months if the cost of oil continues to fall.

Nearly 23,000 jobs have been cut in the last 12 months, the company said, leaving a total of 63,100 employees.