For their part, employers have been hiring at a more robust pace than first appeared.

The report was a sign that the economy might be recovering at a little less robust pace than some had thought.

France spent most of last year growing and adding jobs at its most robust pace in years.

The economy is growing at a robust pace of nearly 4 percent a year.

It showed mainly what economists already knew: that the economy was not growing at a robust pace.

Even with the severe economic slowdown, giving has continued, but not at its former robust pace.

Monthly increases in prescriptions now total 1 to 2 percent, well below the robust pace of previous years.

With unemployment in March at 4.7 percent, the nation is still adding about 200,000 jobs a month - a fairly robust pace.

The reports were the latest signs that the economy continues to grow at a robust pace with low inflation.

Still, economists say the robust economic pace of late 1992 is probably already on the wane.