News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 06-498-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 23, 2006
(202) 693-4676  
 
Calendar Year 2006 Seasonal Factors: Seasonal factors for CY 2006 and the revised historical series for CY 2000-2005 for both initial claims and continued claims will be made available on March 30, 2006, with the release of the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending March 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 302,000, a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 313,000. The 4-week moving average was 303,500, an increase of 6,000 from the previous week's revised average of 297,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending March 11, 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 11 was 2,472,000, an increase of 38,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,434,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,469,250, a decrease of 4,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,473,250.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 267,682 in the week ending March 18, a decrease of 27,019 from the previous week. There were 290,719 initial claims in the comparable week in 2005.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending March 11, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,850,264, a decrease of 10,270 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.4 percent and the volume was 3,090,703.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending March 4.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 992 in the week ending March 11, an increase of 92 from the prior week. There were 1,945 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 34 from the preceding week.

There were 17,590 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 4, an increase of 940 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,793, a decrease of 38 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 4 were in Alaska (5.2 percent), Michigan (4.4), Puerto Rico (4.4), Wisconsin (3.6), Pennsylvania (3.4), Rhode Island (3.4), New Jersey (3.3), Vermont (3.3), Massachusetts (3.2), Connecticut (2.9), Idaho (2.9), Mississippi(2.9), and Oregon (2.9).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 11 were in Michigan (+5,786), California (+3,503), Texas (+2,887), Virginia (+2,105), and Illinois (+2,096), while the largest decreases were in New York (-11,474), Connecticut (-2,206), Pennsylvania (-1,367), Delaware (-1,341), and North Carolina (-1,194).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 18 March 11 Change March 4 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 302,000 313,000 -11,000 304,000 330,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 267,682 294,701 -27,019 301,791 290,719
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 303,500 297,500 +6,000 293,750 327,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 11 March 4 Change Feb. 25 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,472,000 2,434,000 +38,000 2,494,000 2,674,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,850,264 2,860,534 -10,270 2,975,300 3,090,703
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,469,250 2,473,250 -4,000 2,490,750 2,671,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 1.9% 1.9% 0.0 1.9% 2.1%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.2% 2.2% 0.0 2.3% 2.4%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 11
March 4
Change
Year
Federal Employees 992 900 +92 969
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,945 1,979 -34 2,004
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 4
Feb. 25
Change
Year
Federal Employees 17,590 16,650 +940 18,026
Newly Discharged Veterans 28,793 28,831 -38 26,294
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 3,060 7,059 -3,999 8
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 03/11/2006 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NY -11,474 Fewer layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
CT -2,206 No comment.
PA -1,367 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
DE -1,341 No comment.
NC -1,194 Fewer layoffs in the construction, food, and transportation industries.
WI -1,022 Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
IL +2,096 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
VA +2,105 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
TX +2,887 Layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.
CA +3,503 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
MI +5,786 Layoffs in the automobile industry.

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/