News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 04-474-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 25, 2004
 
Calendar Year 2004 Seasonal Factors: Seasonal factors for CY 2004 and the revised historical series for CY 1998-2003 for both initial claims and continued claims will be made available on April 1, 2004, with the release of the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending March 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 339,000, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 338,000. The 4-week moving average was 341,500, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised average of 344,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent for the week ending March 13, 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 13 was 3,004,000, a decrease of 46,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,050,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,035,000, a decrease of 21,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,056,500.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 303,532 in the week ending March 20, a decrease of  8,356 from the previous week. There were 361,011 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent during the week ending March 13, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,526,462, a decrease of 24,012 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.2 percent and the volume was 4,067,954.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska during the week ending March 6.

53 states reported that 200,971 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending March 6.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,085 in the week ending March 13, a decrease of 73 from the prior week. There were 1,681 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 159 from the preceding week.

There were 20,583 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 6, an increase of 964 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 27,647, a decrease of 397 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 6 were in Alaska (6.4 percent), Michigan (4.4), Oregon (4.3), Puerto Rico (4.3), Idaho (4.2), Wisconsin (4.2), Pennsylvania (4.0), New Jersey (3.9), Massachusetts (3.8), and Rhode Island (3.8).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 13 were in Delaware (+821), Michigan (+318), Oklahoma (+190), Maine (+163), and Hawaii (+84), while the largest decreases were in North Carolina (-3,388), California (-2,242), Georgia (-2,198), Minnesota (-2,021), and Pennsylvania (-1,564).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 20  March 13 Change March 6  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 339,000 338,000 +1,000 342,000 402,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 303,532 311,888 -8,356 339,004 361,011
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 341,500 344,500 -3,000 346,000 421,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 13 March 6  Change Feb. 28 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,004,000 3,050,000 -46,000 3,014,000 3,474,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,526,462 3,550,474 -24,012 3,674,326 4,067,954
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,035,000 3,056,500 -21,500 3,084,750 3,481,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.4% 2.4% 0.0 2.4% 2.7%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.8% 2.8% 0.0 2.9% 3.2%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 13
March 6
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,085 1,158 -73 1,075
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,681 1,840 -159 1,234
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 6
Feb. 28
Change
Year
Federal Employees 20,583 19,619 +964 18,602
Newly Discharged Veterans 27,647 28,044 -397 19,670
Railroad Retirement Board 4,000 4,000 0 5,000
Extended Benefits 2,428 2,292 +136 17,843
Federal (TEUC) 200,971 261,715 -60,744 790,691
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 03/13/2004 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NC -3,388 Fewer layoffs in the construction, textile, apparel, and lumber/wood industries.
CA -2,242 Fewer layoffs in the construction industry.
GA -2,198 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MN -2,021 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
PA -1,564 Fewer layoffs in the food, industrial machinery, service, and manufacturing industries.
NJ -1,334 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
WI -1,200 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
WA -1,142 No comment.
NY -1,085 No comment.
AL -1,038 Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
SC -1,014 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

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

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