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.