News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 05-447-NAT
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Subri Raman (202) 693-3058 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Tony Sznoluch (202) 693-3176 8:30 A.M. (EST), THURSDAY
Media Contact : March 17, 2005
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending March 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 318,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 328,000. The 4-week moving average was 316,500, an increase of 3,750 from the previous week's revised average of 312,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent for the week ending March 5, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.1 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 5 was 2,647,000, a decrease of 48,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,695,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,666,500, a decrease of 16,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,682,750.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 303,393 in the week ending March 12, a decrease of 24,624 from the previous week. There were 312,067 initial claims in the comparable week in 2004.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending March 5, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,091,452, a decrease of 134,560 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.8 percent and the volume was 3,551,292.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending Feb. 26.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,043 in the week ending March 5, an increase of 49 from the prior week. There were 2,116 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 463 from the preceding week.

There were 18,299 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Feb. 26, a decrease of 559 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 26,491, an increase of 242 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Feb. 26 were in Alaska (6.3 percent), Puerto Rico (4.4), Michigan (4.2), Pennsylvania (4.2), Rhode Island (4.1), New Jersey (3.8), Massachusetts (3.7), Wisconsin (3.7), Idaho (3.6), Connecticut (3.4), and Oregon (3.4).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 5 were in New York (+12,622), Pennsylvania (+5,484), Michigan (+5,053), North Carolina (+2,754), and Ohio (+2,236), while the largest decreases were in Massachusetts (-3,457), Louisiana (-2,959), Rhode Island (-1,261), Texas
(-881), and Vermont (-498).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 12 March 5 Change Feb. 26 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 318,000 328,000 -10,000 310,000 333,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 303,393 328,017 -24,624 290,776 312,067
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 316,500 312,750 +3,750 306,750 342,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 5 Feb. 26 Change Feb. 19 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,647,000 2,695,000 -48,000 2,664,000 3,077,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,091,452 3,226,012 -134,560 3,096,036 3,551,292
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,666,500 2,682,750 -16,250 2,691,750 3,100,250
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.1% 2.1% 0.0 2.1% 2.4%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.4% 2.5% -0.1 2.4% 2.8%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 5
Feb. 26
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,043 994 +49 1,158
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,116 1,653 +463 1,840
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Feb. 26
Feb. 19
Change
Year
Federal Employees 18,299 18,858 -559 19,619
Newly Discharged Veterans 26,491 26,249 +242 28,048
Railroad Retirement Board 4,000 4,000 0 4,000
Extended Benefits 0 1 -1 2,292
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 126,641,867 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 03/05/2005 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MA -3,457 No comment.
LA -2,959 No comment.
RI -1,261 Fewer layoffs in the trade and service industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
SC +1,189 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MD +1,267 No comment.
CA +1,277 No comment.
GA +1,297 Layoffs in the trade and manufacturing industries.
IL +1,357 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
OH +2,236 No comment.
NC +2,754 Layoffs in the construction, furniture, transportation, and warehousing industries.
MI +5,053 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
PA +5,484 Layoffs in the construction, service, and transportation industries.
NY +12,622 Layoffs in the transportation and service industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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