News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 04-407-NAT
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Thomas Stengle (202) 693-2991 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Media Contact : 8:30 A.M. (EST), THURSDAY
(202) 693-4676 March 18, 2004
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending March 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 336,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 342,000. The 4-week moving average was 344,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average of 346,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent for the week ending March 6, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.4 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 6 was 3,064,000, an increase of 47,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,017,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,060,750, a decrease of 24,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,085,500.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 310,360 in the week ending March 13, a decrease of 28,644 from the previous week. There were 389,421 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent during the week ending March 6, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,565,998, a decrease of 111,272 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.2 percent and the volume was 4,096,551.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska during the week ending Feb. 28.

53 states reported that 261,715 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Feb. 28.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,158 in the week ending March 6, a decrease of 61 from the prior week. There were 1,840 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 162 from the preceding week.

There were 19,632 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Feb. 28, a decrease of 2,218 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,122, a decrease of 971 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Feb. 28 were in Alaska (6.5 percent), Idaho (4.5), Michigan (4.5), Pennsylvania (4.5), Oregon (4.4), Wisconsin (4.2), Massachusetts (4.0), New Jersey (4.0), Puerto Rico (4.0), Rhode Island (3.9), and Washington (3.9).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 6 were in Texas (+2,878), Georgia (+2,550), North Carolina (+1,886), Pennsylvania (+1,757), and Minnesota (+1,743), while the largest decreases were in New York (-12,349), California (-7,363), Connecticut (-2,282), Oregon (-633), and Maine (-613).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 13  March 6 Change Feb. 28  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 336,000 342,000 -6,000 347,000 428,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 310,360 339,004 -28,644 342,137 389,421
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 344,000 346,000 -2,000 352,500 424,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 6 Feb. 28  Change Feb. 21 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,064,000 3,017,000 +47,000 3,072,000 3,535,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,565,998 3,677,270 -111,272 3,738,110 4,096,551
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,060,750 3,085,500 -24,750 3,101,500 3,454,750
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.4% 2.4% 0.0 2.4% 2.8%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.8% 2.9% -0.1 3.0% 3.2%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 6
Feb. 28
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,158 1,219 -61 1,202
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,840 1,678 +162 1,455
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Feb. 28
Feb. 21
Change
Year
Federal Employees 19,632 21,850 -2,218 17,848
Newly Discharged Veterans 28,122 29,093 -971 19,708
Railroad Retirement Board 5,000 5,000 0 6,000
Extended Benefits 2,292 2,447 -155 17,510
Federal (TEUC) 261,715 302,840 -41,125 736,765
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 126,250,343 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 03/06/2004 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NY -12,349 Decrease due to schools returning to session after spring break.
CA -7,363 Fewer layoffs in the construction industry, and agriculture.
CT -2,282 No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
AL +1,112 Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
FL +1,126 Layoffs in the trade and manufacturing industries.
SC +1,296 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MI +1,570 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
MN +1,743 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
PA +1,757 Layoffs in the food, transportation equipment , and service industries.
NC +1,886 Layoffs in the furniture, apparel, lumber/wood, and rubber/plastics industries.
GA +2,550 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
TX +2,878 Layoffs in the transportation and service industries.


State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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