P.M. BRIEFING : Jobless E. Germans Seeking Aid

EAST BERLIN —  East Germany today began accepting applications for unemployment benefits for the first time in the Communist nation’s 40-year history.

Unofficial estimates contend that 70,000 East Germans are unemployed, but Labor Ministry spokesman Joachim Guenter said the number of applicants is far lower than had been expected. Authorities had speculated that about 4,000 people would seek the new insurance.

While the number of unemployed is relatively low among East Germany’s 9 million workers, the figure is expected to shoot up to as much as 15% after competitive Western practices are introduced.