Both candidates want to add jobs.

• Position: Your Life

A statistical anomaly that favors both presidential contenders shows that industries expected to benefit from a John Kerry win in November currently are adding more jobs than industries expected to benefit from the reelection of George W. Bush. However, the "Bush industries," which happen to be smaller in size, hold the edge when it comes to percentage growth.

"In an election that many say will hinge on the employment picture, it ultimately will be up to job-seeking voters to determine which candidate they believe will deliver the most new job opportunities," states John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., Chicago, the international outplacement firm that conducted the analysis.

Challenger examined the top five industries expected to benefit the most under each candidate, based on information from the candidates' respective websites, published articles on their positions, and interviews with several Wall Street analysts. A victory for Pres. Bush is expected to have the best impact on employers in the automotive, financial services, timber, pharmaceutical, and tobacco industries. A Kerry win would boost the fortunes for companies in health care, education, government, home building, and insurance.

According to job creation data from the latest employment report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industries expected to be the biggest beneficiaries of a Kerry...