U.S. FIRST TIME JOBLESS CLAIMS FELL IN WEEK

  New applications for unemployment
  insurance benefits fell to a seasonally adjusted 340,000 in the
  week ended March 7 from 373,000 in the prior week, the Labor
  Department said.
      The number of people actually receiving benefits under
  regular state programs totaled 2,507,000 in the week ended Feb
  28, the latest period for which that figure was available.
      That was up from 2,477,000 the previous week.
  

