
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 29, 1994                   TAG: 9403290164
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: C-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

JOBLESS CLAIMS DROP IN VIRGINIA

Initial claims for unemployment benefits in Virginia fell 23,341 to 26,665 in February, a 46.7 percent drop from January's 50,006, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Monday.

The VEC said claims usually decline from January to February, because most claims stemming from year-end furloughs and seasonal construction lulls are filed in December and January.

But the number of February's claims was 2,405 greater than the 24,260 filed in February 1993. Temporary work stoppages caused by severe winter storms caused this 9.9 percent increase.

- Staff report

Briefly ...

Flowers Industries, Inc., Thomasville, Ga.-based producer of baked and snack foods with retail and wholesale operations in Roanoke, said Monday it is negotiating to acquire privately held John J. Nissen Baking Co. of Portland, Maine. Flowers declined to give details of the deal.

The Resolution Trust Corp. said it has approved the sale of Liberty Federal Savings Bank in Warrenton to Jefferson National Bank of Charlottesville. Liberty Federal's two banking offices reopened Monday, with Jefferson National assuming their $23.9 million in deposits

by CNB