News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 04-598-NAT
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Thomas Stengle (202) 693-2991 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Media Contact : 8:30 A.M. (EDT), THURSDAY
(202) 693-4676 April 8, 2004
 

 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending April 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 328,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 342,000. The 4-week moving average was 336,750, a decrease of 3,250 from the previous week's revised average of 340,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent for the week ending March 27, 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 27 was 3,010,000, a decrease of 40,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,050,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,041,000, a decrease of 11,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,052,750.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 302,275 in the week ending April 3, an increase of 5,953 from the previous week. There were 394,160 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent during the week ending March 27, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,326,077, a decrease of 59,011 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.1 percent and the volume was 3,875,224.

-more-

 

2

Extended benefits were available in Alaska during the week ending March 20.

53 states reported that 113,476 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending March 20.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 984 in the week ending March 27, an increase of 47 from the prior week. There were 1,565 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 56 from the preceding week.

There were 19,178 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 20, an increase of 580 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 27,573, a decrease of 274 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 20 were in Alaska (6.1 percent), Michigan (4.5), Puerto Rico (4.2), Oregon (3.9), Wisconsin (3.9), New Jersey (3.8), Pennsylvania (3.8), Idaho (3.7), Massachusetts (3.7), and Rhode Island (3.6).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 27 were in New York (+1,661), Kentucky (+1,480), Oregon (+1,477), North Carolina (+1,279), and Washington (+803), while the largest decreases were in Oklahoma (-3,535), Michigan (-3,001), California (-1,948), Pennsylvania
(-1,733), and Tennessee (-1,621).

-more-

 

3
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 3  March 27 Change March 20  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 328,000 342,000 -14,000 344,000 414,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 302,275 296,322 +5,953 304,462 394,160
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 336,750 340,000 -3,250 340,000 419,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 27 March 20  Change March 13 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,010,000 3,050,000 -40,000 3,027,000 3,513,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,326,077 3,385,088 -59,011 3,513,900 3,875,224
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,041,000 3,052,750 -11,750 3,070,250 3,540,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.4% 2.4% 0.0 2.4% 2.8%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.6% 2.7% -0.1 2.8% 3.1%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 27
March 20
Change
Year
Federal Employees 984 937 +47 984
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,565 1,509 +56 1,169
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 20
March 13
Change
Year
Federal Employees 19,178 18,598 +580 17,163
Newly Discharged Veterans 27,573 27,847 -274 19,331
Railroad Retirement Board 4,000 4,000 0 5,000
Extended Benefits 2,459 2,242 +217 17,635
Federal (TEUC) 113,476 161,806 -48,330 802,004
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.
-more-

 

4

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 03/27/2004 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
OK -3,535 No comment.
MI -3,001 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
CA -1,948 No comment.
PA -1,733 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and food industries.
TN -1,621 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, fabricated metals, and transportation equipment industries.
OH -1,209 No comment.
IN -1,019 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NC +1,279 Layoffs in the construction industry.
OR +1,477 No comment.
KY +1,480 No comment.
NY +1,661 No comment.


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  https://oui.doleta.gov/