Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 30, 1993 TAG: 9304300196
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short
The less-volatile four-week moving average of new claims dropped by an even larger amount, the Labor Department reported. It fell 7,500 to 352,500, the lowest level since 343,250 on Feb. 27.
Analysts prefer to track the four-week average because it smooths out the ups and downs of the weekly numbers and more accurately reflects the labor situation.
The report said new applications for unemployment insurance totaled 349,000, down from a revised 356,000 during the week ended April 17 and the smallest number since 332,000 in the week ended April 10.
Virginia had the nation's third-largest claims increase, 931, behind New York, 2,653, and North Carolina, 1,844.
Also Thursday, the Conference Board of New York said its help-wanted advertising index fell to 96 points in March, down one point from February but up three points from March 1992. The index monitors the volume of classified advertising for jobs in 51 major U.S. newspapers. In the South Atlantic region, including Virginia, the index fell to 98 points from 105 in February but up from 92 points in March 1992. - Associated Press
by CNB