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

DATE: FRIDAY, November 18, 1994                   TAG: 9411180078
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-21   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

VA. JOBLESS CLAIMS TAKE ANOTHER DIP

First-time claims for state unemployment benefits dropped by 5,000 last week, the biggest decline in nearly two months.

Initial jobless claims declined to a seasonally adjusted 327,000 in the week ended Nov. 12, the Labor Department reported Thursday. It was the fourth decrease in five weeks. The report showed that claims in the week ended Nov. 5 totaled 332,000, revised upward from the 330,000 earlier reported.

Most economists predicted a decrease of about 5,000 in first-time claims last week, after a sharp rise the previous week. The decrease was the biggest since the number of initial claims fell by 11,000 in the week ended Sept. 24.

The four-week average was a seasonally adjusted 326,250, up 500 from the previous week's 325,750, the Labor Department said. That was the highest level since Sept. 17 and the sixth consecutive increase.

- Associated Press

by CNB