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

DATE: FRIDAY, April 23, 1993                   TAG: 9304230489
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN BUSINESS

WASHINGTON - The number of newly idled workers filing claims for jobless benefits was up 26,000 last week, the government said Thursday in a report seen as the latest sign of slack job growth.

"Some increase had been expected after the holiday-induced drop of the previous week, but the latest jump was more than expected," said economist Bruce Steinberg of Merrill Lynch & Co.

New applications for jobless benefits totaled 359,000, up from a revised 333,000 during the week ended April 10, the Labor Department said. The department had estimated April 10 claims at 335,000.

The four-week moving average of claims, which many analysts prefer to track because it smooths out the volatility of the weekly numbers, also rose in the latest reporting period, to 361,000 from 358,000 a week earlier. - Associated Press

\ Mortgage rates fall to near 21-year low

WASHINGTON - Interest charged on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages declined to nearly a 21-year low of 7.38 percent this week, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. said Thursday.

That was down from 7.45 percent a week earlier and was the lowest weekly average since 7.38 percent during the week ended Aug. 4, 1972.

Rates have fallen in 15 of the past 20 weeks since early December, when the average stood at 8.34 percent.

On one-year adjustable rate mortgages, lenders were asking an average initial rate of 4.64 percent, down from 4.7 percent last week and the lowest since the corporation began tracking ARMs in 1984. - Associated Press \

NLRB drops charges against Ethyl Corp.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. - The National Labor Relations Board has dismissed an allegation of unfair labor practices that striking employees made against Ethyl Corp.

The NLRB dropped the union's allegation that Richmond, Va.-based Ethyl failed to bargain in good faith, but three allegations of unfair labor practices are pending, Teamsters 509 Vice President Carl Kuck said.

The union will pursue charges that Ethyl improperly asked employees to leave the union and bargained directly with employees. Ethyl has denied violating any labor laws. About 220 workers went on strike April 1. - Associated Press