News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 05-706-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. (EDT), THURSDAY
Media Contact : April 21, 2005
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending April 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 296,000, a decrease of 36,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 332,000. The 4-week moving average was 330,250, a decrease of 8,500 from the previous week's revised average of 338,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent for the week ending April 9, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.1 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 9 was 2,638,000, a decrease of 17,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,655,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,644,250, a decrease of 9,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,653,250.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 283,128 in the week ending April 16, a decrease of 56,608 from the previous week. There were 334,965 initial claims in the comparable week in 2004.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending April 9, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,737,945, a decrease of 71,501 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.5 percent and the volume was 3,143,186.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska during the week ending April 2.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,361 in the week ending April 9, an increase of 452 from the prior week. There were 2,373 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 399 from the preceding week.

There were 15,227 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending April 2, a decrease of 281 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 25,489, a decrease of 304 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending April 2 were in Alaska (5.0 percent), Puerto Rico (4.5), Michigan (3.8), Wisconsin (3.6), New Jersey (3.3), Pennsylvania (3.3), Massachusetts (3.2), Oregon (3.1), Rhode Island (3.1), Idaho (2.9), and Vermont (2.9).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 9 were in California (+11,113), North Carolina (+4,132), Texas (+3,290), Florida (+3,226), and Georgia (+3,033), while the largest decreases were in New Jersey (-3,032), Wisconsin (-2,402), Ohio (-842), Kentucky (-445), and Missouri (-373).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 16 April 9 Change April 2 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 296,000 332,000 -36,000 341,000 356,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 283,128 339,736 -56,608 294,994 334,965
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 330,250 338,750 -8,500 338,000 349,250
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 9 April 2 Change March 26 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,638,000 2,655,000 -17,000 2,686,000 3,008,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,737,945 2,809,446 -71,501 2,959,537 3,143,186
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,644,250 2,653,250 -9,000 2,651,250 3,014,250
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.1% 2.1% 0.0 2.1% 2.4%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.2% 2.2% 0.0 2.3% 2.5%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
April 9
April 2
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,361 909 +452 1,282
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,373 1,974 +399 1,714
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
April 2
March 26
Change
Year
Federal Employees 15,227 15,508 -281 17,538
Newly Discharged Veterans 25,489 25,793 -304 26,325
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 4,171 1,289 +2,882 2,558
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 127,095,859 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 04/09/2005 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NJ -3,032 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, transportation, and warehousing industries.
WI -2,402 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
PR +1,139 No comment.
VA +1,243 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
AR +1,266 No comment.
IN +1,307 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MI +1,459 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
WA +1,723 No comment.
TN +1,724 Layoffs in the food, transportation equipment, industrial machinery, and electronics industries.
AZ +1,943 No comment.
SC +2,872 Layoffs in the textile and manufacturing industries.
PA +2,966 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, industrial machinery, and manufacturing industries.
GA +3,033 Layoffs in the textile and transportation equipment industries.
FL +3,226 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
TX +3,290 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
NC +4,132 Layoffs in the textile, furniture, construction, and service industries.
CA +11,113 Layoffs in the service industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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