UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending March 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 652,000, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 644,000. The 4-week moving average was 649,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average of 650,000.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.2 percent for the week ending March 14, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.1 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 14 was 5,560,000, an increase of 122,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 5,438,000. The 4-week moving average was 5,331,250, an increase of 123,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 5,207,500.
The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 4.646 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 585,897 in the week ending March 21, a decrease of 15,266 from the previous week. There were 316,598 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.8 percent during the week ending March 14, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 6,433,406, an increase of 76,204 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.4 percent and the volume was 3,254,650.
Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin during the week ending March 7.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,113 in the week ending March 14, a decrease of 84 from the prior week. There were 1,836 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 240 from the preceding week.
There were 18,713 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 7, a decrease of 1,192 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 29,061, an increase of 225 from the prior week.
States reported 1,468,667 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending March 7, a decrease of 20,247 from the prior week.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 7 were in Michigan (7.8 percent), Oregon (7.6), Idaho (7.2), Wisconsin (6.8), Pennsylvania (6.5), Rhode Island (6.5), Nevada (6.2), Montana (6.0), Indiana (5.9), and Vermont (5.9).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 14 were in Tennessee (+1,394), Texas (+1,028), Rhode Island (+904), North Dakota (+857), and Connecticut (+522), while the largest decreases were in California (-8,555), Michigan (-7,523), Indiana (-7,475), Pennsylvania (-3,757), and Ohio (-3,397).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING March 21 March 14 Change March 7 Year Initial Claims (SA) 652,000 644,000 +8,000 657,000 367,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 585,897 601,163 -15,266 652,636 316,598 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 649,000 650,000 -1,000 646,750 356,500 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING March 14 March 7 Change Feb. 28 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 5,560,000 5,438,000 +122,000 5,253,000 2,835,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 6,433,406 6,357,202 +76,204 6,361,354 3,254,650 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 5,331,250 5,207,500 +123,750 5,085,000 2,805,500 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 4.2% 4.1% +0.1 3.9% 2.1% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 4.8% 4.7% +0.1 4.8% 2.4% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING March 14 March 7 Change Year Federal Employees 1,113 1,197 -84 844 Newly Discharged Veterans 1,836 2,076 -240 1,422 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING March 7 Feb. 28 Change Year Federal Employees 18,713 19,905 -1,192 14,582 Newly Discharged Veterans 29,061 28,836 +225 22,415 Railroad Retirement Board 9,000 9,000 0 3,000 Extended Benefits 6,642 4,843 +1,799 0 EUC 2008 1,468,667 1,488,914 -20,247 0 FOOTNOTES SA - Seasonally Adjusted Data NSA - Not Seasonally Adjusted Data 1 - Prior year is comparable to most recent data. 2 - Most recent week used covered employment of 133,886,830 as denominator.
UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 03/14/2009 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment CA -8,555 Fewer layoffs in the construction and service industries.
MI -7,523 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
IN -7,475 Fewer layoffs in the automobile, trade, and service industries.
PA -3,757 Fewer layoffs in the service and fabricated metals industries.
OH -3,397 No comment.
AL -2,724 Fewer layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.
OR -2,270 No comment.
NC -2,251 Fewer layoffs in the transportation equipment, industrial machinery, computer equipment, and textile industries.
NY -2,216 Fewer layoffs in the service, finance, and insurance industries.
GA -2,159 Fewer layoffs in the service and textile industries.
WA -2,121 No comment.
WI -1,664 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
SC -1,599 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NJ -1,334 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.
MD -1,182 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment TX +1,028 Layoffs in the service, finance, and manufacturing industries.
TN +1,394 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
State Detail Prior Week UI Claims Series 1967 to current Updated Weekly Seasonal Adjustment Factors -- ASCII text format Updated Weekly Seasonal Adjustment Factors -- Microsoft Excel format This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-693-4676. TDD Message Phone: 1-800-326-2577. News releases from the U.S. Department of Labor are accessible on the Internet at: http://www.dol.gov/ and http://www.ows.doleta.gov/
