UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending March 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 382,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 387,000. The 4-week moving average was 385,250, a decrease of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average of 386,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending March 12, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.0 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 12 was 3,721,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,723,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,755,250, a decrease of 28,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,783,250.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 351,204 in the week ending March 19, a decrease of 23,487 from the previous week. There were 408,653 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.4 percent during the week ending March 12, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,260,519, a decrease of 36,286 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.1 percent and the volume was 5,344,610.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending March 5 was 8,766,062.
Extended benefits were available in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, during the week ending March 5.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,627 in the week ending March 12, a decrease of 284 from the prior week. There were 2,318 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 173 from the preceding week.
There were 39,439 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 5, a decrease of 4,255 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 39,128, a decrease of 983 from the prior week.
States reported 3,627,654 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending March 5, an increase of 85,712 from the prior week. There were 5,625,723 claimants in the comparable week in 2010. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 5 were in Alaska (6.7 percent), Puerto Rico (5.1), Idaho (5.0), Montana (5.0), Rhode Island (5.0), Oregon (4.9), Pennsylvania (4.8), Wisconsin (4.8), New Jersey (4.6), and Connecticut (4.5).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 12 were in North Carolina (+930), Florida (+776), Oregon (+582), Puerto Rico (+509), and South Carolina (+484), while the largest decreases were in New York (-16,917), California (-5,490), Pennsylvania (-1,907), Massachusetts(-1,778), and Washington (-1,429).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING Advance March 19 March 12 Change March 5 Prior Year1 Initial Claims (SA) 382,000 387,000 -5,000 401,000 445,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 351,204 374,691 -23,487 409,654 408,653 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 385,250 386,750 -1,500 393,250 454,000 WEEK ENDING Advance March 12 March 5 Change Feb. 26 Prior Year1 Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,721,000 3,723,000 -2,000 3,786,000 4,668,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 4,260,519 4,296,805 -36,286 4,460,146 5,344,610 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,755,250 3,783,250 -28,000 3,837,000 4,692,000 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.0% 3.0% 0.0 3.0% 3.6% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.4% 3.4% 0.0 3.6% 4.1% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING March 12 March 5 Change Prior Year1 Federal Employees 1,627 1,911 -284 1,250 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,318 2,491 -173 2,331 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING March 5 Feb. 26 Change Prior Year1 Regular State 4,284,,468 4,445,578 -161,110 5,381,774 Federal Employees (UCFE) 39,439 43,694 -4,255 22,523 Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 39,128 40,111 -983 36,474 EUC 20083 3,627,654 3,541,942 +85,712 5,625,723 Extended Benefits4 716,951 815,191 -98,240 157,340 State Additional Benefits 5 8,151 8,286 -135 1,933 STC / Workshare 6 50,271 58,630 -8,359 90,653 TOTAL 8,766,062 8,953,432 -187,370 11,316,420 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 125,560,066 as denominator. 3 - EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity. Tier-specific EUC data can be found here: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/docs/persons.xls4 - Information on the EB program can be found here: http://www.ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/extenben.asp 5 - Some states maintain additional benefit programs for those claimants who exhaust regular, extended and emergency benefits. Information on states that participate and the extent of benefits can be found starting on page 4-5 of this link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf 6 - Information on STC/Worksharing can be found starting on page 4-9 of the following link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 03/12/2011 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment NY -16,917 Fewer layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
CA -5,490 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
PA -1,907 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, construction, trade, and service industries.
MA -1,778 Fewer layoffs in the transportation industry.
WA -1,429 No comment.
GA -1,222 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment None State Detail Prior Week UI Claims Series 1967 to current 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/
