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

DATE: FRIDAY, March 18, 1994                   TAG: 9403180251
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

NEW APPLICANTS FOR JOBLESS BENEFITS DECLINE

The Labor Department said new applications for unemployment insurance totaled 342,000, down from a revised 350,000 during the week ended March 5. Initially, the department had estimated 346,000 claims were filed during that week.

``We expect jobless claims to moderately improve over the next few months,'' economists at Merrill Lynch & Co. said. They also predicted creation of 250,000 jobs in March.

The less-volatile four-week moving average of jobless claims, which analysts prefer to track because it smooths out the weekly spikes, also fell.

The average totaled 345,250, down from 349,250 during the period ended March 5.