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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 6, 1994                   TAG: 9404060007
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN BUSINESS

WASHINGTON _ U.S. wage gains are likely to remain too tame to fuel inflation pressures for quite a while, although the economic expansion is solid and new job growth is strong, analysts said Tuesday.

Despite inflation fears rekindled by March's unexpected 456,000-job surge in non-farm payrolls, they said several factors are restraining the push for higherwages. These include a large pool of unemployed people, continued corporate downsizing, the prevalence of part-time workers, the desire of workers for adequate health insurance and job security, and the need for U.S. firms to be more competitive, the analysts said.a "Inflation is going to run around 3 percent this year," said Bob Lucore, research associate at the AFL-CIO, the largest U.S. labor organization and umbrella group for numerous labor unions. "We would like to see wages run a little higher than that, but it has been hard to match the inflation increase," Lucore said.

Average hourly earnings in non-farm jobs rose an average 3 cents monthly in the first quarter, to $11.04 in March. Over the same period, manufacturing wages increased an average 2 cents per month, rising to $12.02 in March. Inflation-adjusted average weekly earnings of non-farm workers in February fell 1.5 percent, following January's 1.4 percent increase. Knight-Ridder/Tribune

Briefly . . .

The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its 1994 Small Business Awards. Categories for the recognition include manufacturing, service, construction, wholesale and retail, general business and a person employing five or fewer employees. Nominees are evaluated on their community service, employment growth, response to adversity, staying pwoer, financial reports, increase in sales and innovation in product or service. Deadline is Friday and winners will be announced May 3. For more information, contact Jennifer Farthing at 983-0717.

Carmike Cinemas Inc., Columbus, Ga.-based operator of movie theaters including the Salem Valley 8 and those at Valley View and Tanglewood malls in Roanoke Valley, said it has agreed to purchase 38 theaters in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia from Cinema World Inc.

by CNB