News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 05-538-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 31, 2005
(202) 693-4676  

Note: This week's release reflects the annual revision to the weekly unemployment claims seasonal adjustment factors. The historical factors from 1999 forward have been revised. See attachment for calendar year 2005 factors.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending March 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 350,000, an increase of 20,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 330,000. The 4-week moving average was 336,000, an increase of 8,500 from the previous week's revised average of 327,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent for the week ending March 19, 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 19 was 2,608,000, a decrease of 66,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,674,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,656,250, a decrease of 14,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,671,000.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 290,073 in the week ending March 26, a decrease of 380 from the previous week. There were 296,776 initial claims in the comparable week in 2004.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent during the week ending March 19, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,926,383, a decrease of 164,357 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.7 percent and the volume was 3,385,174.

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2

Extended benefits were available in Alaska during the week ending March 12.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 884 in the week ending March 19, a decrease of 85 from the prior week. There were 1,886 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 118 from the preceding week.

There were 16,780 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 12, a decrease of 1,246 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 26,049, a decrease of 245 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 12 were in Alaska (6.1 percent), Michigan (4.3), Pennsylvania (4.2), Puerto Rico (4.2), New Jersey (3.6), Wisconsin (3.6), Massachusetts (3.5), Rhode Island (3.5), Idaho (3.2), Illinois (3.2), and Oregon (3.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 19 were in Wisconsin (+2,735), Texas (+2,171), Tennessee (+1,502), Ohio (+1,308), and Missouri (+919), while the largest decreases were in California (-4,927), Oregon (-3,363), North Carolina (-3,086), Michigan (-2,666), and Oklahoma
(-1,608).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 26 March 19 Change March 12 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 350,000 330,000 +20,000 329,000 345,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 290,073 290,453 -380 307,061 296,776
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 336,000 327,500 +8,500 322,250 344,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 19 March 12 Change March 5 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,608,000 2,674,000 -66,000 2,647,000 3,055,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,926,383 3,090,740 -164,357 3,085,920 3,385,174
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,656,250 2,671,000 -14,750 2,662,000 3,057,750
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.1% 2.1% 0.0 2.1% 2.4%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.3% 2.4% -0.1 2.4% 2.7%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 19
March 12
Change
Year
Federal Employees 884 969 -85 937
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,886 2,004 -118 1,509
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 12
March 5
Change
Year
Federal Employees 16,780 18,026 -1,246 18,598
Newly Discharged Veterans 26,049 26,294 -245 27,847
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 4,000
Extended Benefits 315 8 +307 2,242
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 03/19/2005 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
CA -4,927 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries, and agriculture.
OR -3,363 No comment.
NC -3,086 Fewer layoffs in the construction, textile, and furniture industries.
MI -2,666 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
OK -1,608 No comment.
NY -1,448 No comment.
PA -1,437 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, and manufacturing industries.
VA -1,227 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
GA -1,070 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
OH +1,308 No comment.
TN +1,502 Layoffs in the transportation equipment, leather goods, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
TX +2,171 Layoffs in the trade, public administration, and transportation industries.
WI +2,735 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.

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/

 

Attachment: - Calendar Year 2005 Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims
Initial Claims
Continued Claims
I.U.R
Covered
N.S.A
S.F.
S.A.
N.S.A
S.F.
S.A.
N.S.A
S.A.
Employment
01/01/2005
540,927
156.3
346,000
3,401,253
127.6
2,666,000
2.7
2.1
126,641,867
01/08/2005
693,776
197.8
351,000
3,342,292
123.5
2,706,000
2.6
2.1
126,641,867
01/15/2005
467,862
143.5
326,000
3,311,633
119.3
2,776,000
2.6
2.2
126,641,867
01/22/2005
360,582
112.4
321,000
3,263,705
120.7
2,704,000
2.6
2.1
126,641,867
01/29/2005
364,704
113.0
323,000
3,296,052
121.6
2,711,000
2.6
2.1
126,641,867
02/05/2005
347,391
117.4
296,000
3,216,436
118.9
2,705,000
2.5
2.1
126,641,867
02/12/2005
309,290
100.3
308,000
3,239,778
122.8
2,638,000
2.6
2.1
126,641,867
02/19/2005
303,814
98.3
309,000
3,096,036
116.1
2,667,000
2.4
2.1
126,641,867
02/26/2005
290,776
91.9
316,000
3,226,999
119.7
2,696,000
2.5
2.1
126,641,867
03/05/2005
332,067
99.1
335,000
3,085,920
116.6
2,647,000
2.4
2.1
126,641,867
03/12/2005
307,061
93.4
329,000
3,090,740
115.6
2,674,000
2.4
2.1
126,641,867
03/19/2005
290,453
88.1
330,000
2,926,383
112.2
2,608,000
2.3
2.1
126,641,867
03/26/2005
290,073
82.8
350,000
110.2
04/02/2005
86.6
105.8
04/09/2005
102.3
103.8
04/16/2005
95.6
102.4
04/23/2005
93.5
99.3
04/30/2005
86.6
96.6
05/07/2005
87.1
94.1
05/14/2005
85.4
93.3
05/21/2005
85.4
91.1
05/28/2005
86.7
90.7
06/04/2005
87.1
92.2
06/11/2005
94.4
92.3
06/18/2005
91.6
92.6
06/25/2005
92.1
93.9
07/02/2005
102.1
92.1
07/09/2005
126.8
102.1
07/16/2005
121.8
101.2
07/23/2005
95.1
97.2
07/30/2005
83.2
96.2
08/06/2005
86.8
94.2
08/13/2005
80.6
94.1
08/20/2005
79.7
91.6
08/27/2005
78.2
90.4
09/03/2005
83.0
86.0
09/10/2005
76.0
87.0
09/17/2005
79.5
84.3
09/24/2005
79.4
83.4
10/01/2005
80.2
83.0
10/08/2005
97.3
81.9
10/15/2005
85.0
85.0
10/22/2005
92.3
85.1
10/29/2005
90.7
86.6
11/05/2005
103.9
85.5
11/12/2005
93.0
91.7
11/19/2005
109.5
84.0
11/26/2005
90.6
104.3
12/03/2005
135.4
98.0
12/10/2005
118.3
103.0
12/17/2005
112.7
99.5
12/24/2005
133.0
104.9
12/31/2005
163.1
117.2

         Note: NSA = Not Seasonally Adjusted; SA = Seasonally Adjusted; IUR = Insured Unemployment Rate.