News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 06-623-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 13, 2006
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending April 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 313,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 301,000. The 4-week moving average was 307,500, a decrease of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average of 309,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending April 1, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 1.9 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 1 was 2,424,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,428,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,444,250, a decrease of 7,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,452,000.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 313,483 in the week ending April 8, an increase of 59,721 from the previous week. There were 339,709 initial claims in the comparable week in 2005.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.0 percent during the week ending April 1, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,574,685, a decrease of 101,112 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.2 percent and the volume was 2,809,420.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending March 25.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 782 in the week ending April 1, a decrease of 107 from the prior week. There were 1,564 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 114 from the preceding week.

There were 14,290 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 25, a decrease of 2,007 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 27,021, a decrease of 1,317 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 25 were in Alaska (5.3 percent), Puerto Rico (4.5), Michigan (4.2), Pennsylvania (3.5), Wisconsin (3.4), Vermont (3.1), New Jersey (3.0), Rhode Island (3.0), Massachusetts (2.9), Illinois (2.7), Minnesota (2.7), and Oregon (2.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 1 were in Alabama (+1,830), North Carolina (+1,721), Texas (+1,019), Oregon (+983), and Iowa (+384), while the largest decreases were in California (-4,177), New York (-2,639), Michigan (-2,606), Kansas (-1,944), and Missouri
(-1,324).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 8 April 1 Change March 25 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 313,000 301,000 +12,000 304,000 334,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 313,483 253,762 +59,721 265,370 339,709
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 307,500 309,000 -1,500 311,250 341,750
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 1 March 25 Change March 18 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,424,000 2,428,000 -4,000 2,462,000 2,673,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,574,685 2,675,797 -101,112 2,750,543 2,809,420
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,444,250 2,452,000 -7,750 2,467,500 2,665,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 1.9% 1.9% 0.0 1.9% 2.1%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.0% 2.1% -0.1 2.1% 2.2%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
April 1
March 25
Change
Year
Federal Employees 782 889 -107 909
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,564 1,678 -114 1,974
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 25
March 18
Change
Year
Federal Employees 14,290 16,297 -2,007 15,508
Newly Discharged Veterans 27,021 28,338 -1,317 25,793
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 888 1,381 -493 1,289
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 129,381,803 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 04/01/2006 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
CA -4,177 Decrease due to a shorter workweek (Friday, 03-31-2006, was a State holiday).
NY -2,639 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
MI -2,606 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
KS -1,944 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MO -1,324 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, communications, and public utilities industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
TX +1,019 Layoffs in the finance, utilities, and manufacturing industries.
NC +1,721 Layoffs in the construction, lumber/wood, apparel, and furniture industries.
AL +1,830 Layoffs in the service industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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