Hello:

I am sure that someone very cleaver will tell you there is an automated
way to do this. But given the irregular nature of the data, and not
frequently the easiest way to do it would be to dislay the drawing
toolbar. Now choose the rectangle shape and draw the area you want high
lighted. Once you have the area you want covered, right click the rectangle
and choose format autoshape and set the transparency to about 50%, this
depends on the color you choose and whether you will be printing or only
using a display. I find sometimes it is best to have no line or times
a line works well. You can do other areas the same way. You can vary
the colors and transparency setting to highlight what you want.

If you click the graph before you the box it wil stay the graph, if you
draw the box with clicking the graph the box is independent of the
graph. I frequently like this better because you have greater control.
If you want them to stay together just shift click them and choose
group from the draw menu.

Pieter Vandenberg


cmc14 wrote:
: In a line graph of monthly unemployment rates over many years, economists
: like to shade a region between 2 selected months (x axis) in order to denote
: a recsession. How can this be done in an Excel chart?