News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 04-772-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 29, 2004
 

 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending April 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 338,000, a decrease of 18,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 356,000. The 4-week moving average was 346,500, a decrease of 1,250 from the previous week's revised average of 347,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent for the week ending April 17, 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 17 was 3,013,000, an increase of 3,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,010,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,996,500, a decrease of 9,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,005,750.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 313,063 in the week ending April 24, a decrease of 21,902 from the previous week. There were 401,342 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending April 17, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,046,331, a decrease of 102,487 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.9 percent and the volume was 3,652,316.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska during the week ending April 10.

53 states reported that 31,184 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending April 10.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,048 in the week ending April 17, a decrease of 234 from the prior week. There were 1,597 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 117 from the preceding week.

There were 16,059 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending April 10, a decrease of 1,479 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 26,358, an increase of 33 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending April 10 were in Alaska (5.9 percent), Puerto Rico (4.8), Michigan (3.9), Oregon (3.7), Pennsylvania (3.7), New Jersey (3.5), Wisconsin (3.4), Washington (3.3), Massachusetts (3.2), Illinois (3.1), and Rhode Island (3.1).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 17 were in New York (+14,967), New Jersey (+2,879), North Carolina (+2,349), South Carolina (+1,539), and Rhode Island (+1,183), while the largest decreases were in California (-6,719), Michigan (-4,680), Pennsylvania (-3,577), Wisconsin (-2,436), and Washington (-2,322).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 24  April 17 Change April 10  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 338,000 356,000 -18,000 362,000 439,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 313,063 334,965 -21,902 350,739 401,342
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 346,500 347,750 -1,250 344,750 433,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 17 April 10  Change April 3 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,013,000 3,010,000 +3,000 2,967,000 3,645,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,046,331 3,148,818 -102,487 3,112,845 3,652,316
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,996,500 3,005,750 -9,250 3,010,000 3,571,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.4% 2.4% 0.0 2.4% 2.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.4% 2.5% -0.1 2.5% 2.9%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
April 17
April 10
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,048 1,282 -234 936
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,597 1,714 -117 1,059
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
April 10
April 3
Change
Year
Federal Employees 16,059 17,538 -1,479 14,600
Newly Discharged Veterans 26,358 26,325 +33 17,596
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 4,000
Extended Benefits 2,411 2,558 -147 16,773
Federal (TEUC) 31,184 52,775 -21,591 788,603
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 04/17/2004 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
CA -6,719 Fewer layoffs in the trade and service industries.
MI -4,680 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
PA -3,577 No comment.
WI -2,436 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.
WA -2,322 No comment.
IL -2,226 Fewer layoffs in the construction and service industries.
TX -2,220 Fewer layoffs in the trade, real estate, and manufacturing industries.
FL -1,874 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
AR -1,587 No comment.
KS -1,543 Fewer layoffs in the trade and manufacturing industries.
MD -1,538 No comment.
OR -1,462 No comment.
MO -1,304 Fewer layoffs in the communications, transportation, and public utilities industries.
NV -1,181 No comment.
AZ -1,046 No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
RI +1,183 Layoffs in the trade and service industries.
SC +1,539 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NC +2,349 Layoffs in the textile, apparel, furniture, construction, and trade industries.
NJ +2,879 No comment.
NY +14,967 Increase due to school closings for spring break.


State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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