Melrose Manufacturing produces gourmet blackberry preserves. Melrose based its current year budget on a production level of 540,000 jars of preserves using 1/2 hour direct labor time for each jar (which includes hand-sorting and trimming the berries). Total budgeted variable overhead for the year was $1,242,000. During the year, Melrose used 280,000 direct labor hours to produce 550,000 jars of blackberry preserves. Actual variable overhead for the year was $1,246,000. What is Melrose's variable overhead efficiency variance?
◦ $4,000 favorable
◦ $23,000 favorable
◦ $4,000 unfavorable
◦ $23,000 unfavorable