News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 06-444-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 16, 2006
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending March 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 309,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 304,000. The 4-week moving average was 296,500, an increase of 2,750 from the previous week's revised average of 293,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending March 4, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 1.9 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 4 was 2,445,000, a decrease of 49,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,494,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,476,000, a decrease of 14,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,490,750.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 291,258 in the week ending March 11, a decrease of 10,533 from the previous week. There were 307,061 initial claims in the comparable week in 2005.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending March 4, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,873,166, a decrease of 102,134 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.4 percent and the volume was 3,085,920.

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Extended benefits were available in Louisiana during the week ending Feb. 25.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 900 in the week ending March 4, an increase of 4 from the prior week. There were 1,979 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 226 from the preceding week.

There were 16,730 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Feb. 25, a decrease of 1,122 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,831, a decrease of 268 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Feb. 25 were in Alaska (5.9 percent), Puerto Rico (4.8), Michigan (4.3), Pennsylvania (3.9), Rhode Island (3.9), Wisconsin (3.6), Massachusetts (3.4), New Jersey (3.4), Connecticut (3.2), and Vermont (3.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 4 were in New York (+12,073), California (+7,919), Ohio (+2,546), Pennsylvania (+2,122), and Georgia (+1,669), while the largest decreases were in Massachusetts (-3,302), New Jersey (-1,724), Rhode Island (-1,538), Kentucky
(-1,343), and Wisconsin (-736).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 11 March 4 Change Feb. 25 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 309,000 304,000 +5,000 295,000 329,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 291,258 301,791 -10,533 272,478 307,061
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 296,500 293,750 +2,750 287,250 322,250
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 4 Feb. 25 Change Feb. 18 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,445,000 2,494,000 -49,000 2,477,000 2,647,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,873,166 2,975,300 -102,134 2,905,648 3,085,920
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,476,000 2,490,750 -14,750 2,505,250 2,662,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 1.9% 1.9% 0.0 1.9% 2.1%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.2% 2.3% -0.1 2.3% 2.4%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 4
Feb. 25
Change
Year
Federal Employees 900 896 +4 1,046
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,979 1,753 +226 2,120
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Feb. 25
Feb. 18
Change
Year
Federal Employees 16,730 17,852 -1,122 18,301
Newly Discharged Veterans 28,831 29,099 -268 26,480
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 4,000
Extended Benefits 7,058 7,235 -177 0
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 128,767,336 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 03/04/2006 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MA -3,302 No comment.
NJ -1,724 Fewer layoffs in the transportation and warehousing industries.
RI -1,538 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
KY -1,343 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
OR +1,028 No comment.
DE +1,251 No comment.
NV +1,419 No comment.
NC +1,568 Layoffs in the construction and food industries.
GA +1,669 Layoffs in the mobile homes industry.
PA +2,122 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
OH +2,546 No comment.
CA +7,919 Layoffs in the construction industry, and agriculture.
NY +12,073 Layoffs in the transportation and food industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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