SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending March 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 323,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 349,000. The 4-week moving average was 336,500, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average of 338,500.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending Feb. 22, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending February 22 was 2,907,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,915,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,927,750, a decrease of 14,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,942,500.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 317,183 in the week ending March 1, an increase of 5,702 from the previous week. There were 335,680 initial claims in the comparable week in 2013.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent during the week ending Feb. 22, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,380,582, an increase of 52,160 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.8 percent and the volume was 3,611,062.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending February 15 was 3,399,445, a decrease of 86,615 from the previous week. There were 5,401,894 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2013.
No state was triggered "on" the Extended Benefits program during the week ending February 15.
Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,012 in the week ending Feb. 22, a decrease of 166 from the prior week. There were 1,753 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 77 from the preceding week.
There were 20,811 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Feb. 15, a decrease of 1,497 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,192, a decrease of 1,378 from the prior week.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending February 15 were in Alaska (5.7), Pennsylvania (4.2), New Jersey (4.1), Rhode Island (4.0), Montana (3.7), California (3.6), Wisconsin (3.6), Connecticut (3.5), Illinois (3.5), and Puerto Rico (3.5).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending February 22 were in Georgia (+7,383), Massachusetts (+3,502), South Carolina (+3,320), Connecticut (+1,376), and Alabama (+1,259), while the largest decreases were in California (-4,973), Missouri (-3,642), New York (-3,572), Michigan (-2,322), and Oregon (-1,810).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING Advance March 1 Feb. 22 Change Feb. 15 Prior Year1 Initial Claims (SA) 323,000 349,000 -26,000 334,000 340,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 317,183 311,481 +5,702 321,414 335,680 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 336,500 338,500 -2,000 338,250 350,500 WEEK ENDING Advance Feb. 22 Feb. 15 Change Feb. 8 Prior Year1 Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,907,000 2,915,000 -8,000 2,956,000 3,105,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,380,582 3,328,422 +52,160 3,411,234 3,611,062 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,927,750 2,942,500 -14,750 2,950,750 3,127,500 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.2% 2.2% 0.0 2.3% 2.4% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.6% 2.5% +0.1 2.6% 2.8% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Feb. 22 Feb. 15 Change Prior Year1 Federal Employees 1,012 1,178 -166 1,138 Newly Discharged Veterans 1,753 1,676 +77 2,188 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Feb. 15 Feb. 8 Change Prior Year1 Regular State 3,323,491 3,405,696 -82,205 3,530,009 Federal Employees (UCFE) 20,811 22,308 -1,497 20,902 Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 28,192 29,570 -1,378 38,482 Extended Benefits3 29 98 -69 555 State Additional Benefits 4 9,547 9,478 +69 6,000 STC / Workshare 5 17,375 18,910 -1,535 25,320 STC / TOTAL6 3,399,445 3,486,060 -86,615 5,401,894 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 130,938,360 as denominator. 3 - Information on the EB program can be found here: http://www.ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/extenben.asp 4 - 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 paid, can be found starting on page 4-5 of this link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf 5 - 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.pdf6 - Prior year total includes EUC claimants.
UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED FEBRUARY 22, 2014 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment CA -4,973 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
MO -3,642 Fewer layoffs in the construction, transportation and warehousing, and accommodation and food services industries.
NY -3,572 Fewer layoffs in the construction, food services, retail trade industries.
MI -2,322 Fewer layoffs in the wholesale trade industries.
OR -1,810 Decrease reflects return to recent trend levels after last week's increase due to inclement weather.
WA -1,767 No comment.
TX -1,617 No comment.
IL -1,574 No comment.
OH -1,172 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment GA +7,383 Layoffs in the manufacturing, construction, administrative and support services, accommodation and food services, and health care and social assistance industries.
MA +3,502 Layoffs in the educational services industries.
SC +3,320 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
CT +1,376 No comment.
AL +1,259 Layoffs in the construction, and manufacturing industries.
NC +1,088 Layoffs in the nonclassifiable establishments and business services industries.
NJ +1,064 Layoffs in the accommodation and food services, manufacturing, and health care and social assistance industries.
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.oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims_arch.asp.
