Business briefs

THE ECONOMY

30-year mortgage rates fall

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.05% this week, compared with 6.06% last week, mortgage company Freddie Mac said.

The rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, a popular choice for refinancing, edged up to 5.60% from 5.59%. Five-year adjustable-rate mortgages dropped to 5.67% from 5.73%. One-year adjustable-rate mortgages were unchanged for a third straight week at 5.29%.

The rates do not include add-on fees known as points.

Initial jobless claims decline

The number of U.S. workers filing claims for initial jobless benefits fell more than expected to 365,000 in the week ended Saturday from an upwardly revised 383,000 for the week before, the Labor Department said.

AIRLINES

Major carriers boost surcharges

AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, UAL Corp.'s United Airlines and Delta Air Lines Inc. all increased fuel surcharges by $20 per round trip. It's the 15th attempt by major U.S. carriers to boost fares or surcharges this year, said Rick Seaney of FareCompare.com.

ENERGY

Chevron to cut 1,000 workers

Chevron Corp. said it planned to fire as many as 1,000 employees in its refining, marketing and transportation divisions. About 300 workers, mostly outside the U.S., received termination payments in the first quarter, according to a regulatory filing by the San Ramon, Calif., company.

CURRENCY

House OKs cheaper coins

The House of Representatives voted to require a switch to a copper-plated steel penny, which would cost 0.7 of a cent to make, from a zinc-and-copper penny, which costs 1.26 cents.

It also would require nickels, now made of copper and nickel and costing 7.7 cents to make, to be made primarily of steel, which would drop the cost below face value.

From Times Wire Services