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

DATE: TUESDAY, March 30, 1993                   TAG: 9303300035
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

THE NATION'S OUTPUT GREW LAST YEAR AT A RATE

The nation's output grew last year at a rate of 2.1 percent, the best annual showing since a 2.5 percent increase in 1989. The GDP shrank 1.2 percent in 1991, only the third time in 17 years it dipped into negative numbers.

Last year's gains were the result of increased consumer spending, stronger exports, gains in residential and commercial construction and business investment in new equipment.

Items new this week to the index of Roanoke Valley economic indicators:

Norfolk Southern Corp. loaded 20,177 coal cars last week, up 3.6 percent from the comparable week last year and up 46 percent from 13,801 the prior week, when the work was hampered by snow.

Local banks cleared checks worth $24,926,182, a drop of 6.7 percent from the prior week's total of $26,738,351.

by CNB