News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 06-590-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 6, 2006
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending April 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 299,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 304,000. The 4-week moving average was 308,500, a decrease of 2,750 from the previous week's revised average of 311,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending March 25, 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 25 was 2,440,000, a decrease of 22,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,462,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,455,000, a decrease of 12,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,467,500.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 252,767 in the week ending April 1, a decrease of 12,844 from the previous week. There were 294,994 initial claims in the comparable week in 2005.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent during the week ending March 25, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,688,741, a decrease of 61,737 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.3 percent and the volume was 2,959,537.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending March 18.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 889 in the week ending March 25, an increase of 11 from the prior week. There were 1,670 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 34 from the preceding week.

There were 16,296 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 18, an increase of 649 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,337, an increase of 267 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 18 were in Alaska (5.1 percent), Michigan (4.5), Wisconsin (3.5), Puerto Rico (3.4), Pennsylvania (3.3), Rhode Island (3.3), New Jersey (3.1), Vermont (3.1), Massachusetts (3.0), Connecticut (2.8), and Oregon (2.8).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 25 were in Kansas (+2,189), New York (+1,292), Missouri (+969), Kentucky (+852), and Michigan (+730), while the largest decreases were in North Carolina (-1,843), California (-1,833), Pennsylvania (-1,409), Texas (-1,349), and Ohio (-1,218).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 1 March 25 Change March 18 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 299,000 304,000 -5,000 312,000 346,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 252,767 265,611 -12,844 269,237 294,994
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 308,500 311,250 -2,750 312,250 342,250
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 25 March 18 Change March 11 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,440,000 2,462,000 -22,000 2,463,000 2,681,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,688,741 2,750,478 -61,737 2,840,272 2,959,537
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,455,000 2,467,500 -12,500 2,476,000 2,663,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 1.9% 1.9% 0.0 1.9% 2.1%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.1% 2.1% 0.0 2.2% 2.3%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 25
March 18
Change
Year
Federal Employees 889 878 +11 947
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,670 1,704 -34 1,855
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 18
March 11
Change
Year
Federal Employees 16,296 15,647 +649 16,423
Newly Discharged Veterans 28,337 28,070 +267 25,235
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 1,381 2,131 -750 4,004
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 03/25/2006 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NC -1,843 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, furniture, and food industries.
CA -1,833 Fewer layoffs in the construction industry, and agriculture.
PA -1,409 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, fabricated metals, wood products, and transportation industries.
TX -1,349 No comment.
OH -1,218 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NY +1,292 No comment.
KS +2,189 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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