News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 04-642-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 15, 2004
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending April 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 360,000, an increase of 30,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 330,000. The 4-week moving average was 344,250, an increase of 6,750 from the previous week's revised average of 337,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent for the week ending April 3, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.4 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 3 was 2,980,000, a decrease of 22,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,002,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,014,750, a decrease of 24,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,039,000.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 348,232 in the week ending April 10, an increase of 44,319 from the previous week. There were 434,911 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent during the week ending April 3, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,125,523, a decrease of 191,533 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.9 percent and the volume was 3,701,064.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska during the week ending March 27.

53 states reported that 77,173 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending March 27.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,073 in the week ending April 3, an increase of 86 from the prior week. There were 1,575 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 9 from the preceding week.

There were 17,229 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 27, a decrease of 2,086 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 27,250, a decrease of 401 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 27 were in Alaska (6.2 percent), Puerto Rico (4.3), Michigan (4.2), Pennsylvania (4.1), Oregon (4.0), Wisconsin (3.7), Massachusetts (3.6), New Jersey (3.6), Idaho (3.5), Rhode Island (3.4), and Washington (3.4).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 3 were in Pennsylvania (+1,784), Georgia (+1,656), Illinois (+1,543), Texas (+1,165), and Ohio (+1,019), while the largest decreases were in New York (-2,783), California (-1,913), North Carolina (-1,481), Oregon (-1,080), and South Carolina (-885).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 10  April 3 Change March 27  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 360,000 330,000 +30,000 343,000 435,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 348,232 303,913 +44,319 296,776 434,911
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 344,250 337,500 +6,750 340,250 422,250
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 3 March 27  Change March 20 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,980,000 3,002,000 -22,000 3,050,000 3,562,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,125,523 3,317,056 -191,533 3,385,174 3,701,064
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,014,750 3,039,000 -24,250 3,052,750 3,540,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.4% 2.4% 0.0 2.4% 2.8%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.5% 2.6% -0.1 2.7% 2.9%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
April 3
March 27
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,073 987 +86 1,122
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,575 1,566 +9 1,199
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 27
March 20
Change
Year
Federal Employees 17,229 19,315 -2,086 15,362
Newly Discharged Veterans 27,250 27,651 -401 18,247
Railroad Retirement Board 4,000 4,000 0 4,000
Extended Benefits 2,266 2,459 -193 17,178
Federal (TEUC) 77,173 113,476 -36,303 786,355
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 126,084,041 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 04/03/2004 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NY -2,783 Fewer layoffs in the construction and service industries.
CA -1,913 Fewer layoffs in the construction and service industries.
NC -1,481 Fewer layoffs in the construction industry.
OR -1,080 No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
OH +1,019 No comment.
TX +1,165 Layoffs in the telecommunications, service, and manufacturing industries.
IL +1,543 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
GA +1,656 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
PA +1,784 Layoffs in the primary metals, industrial machinery, service, and manufacturing industries.


State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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