News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 07-478-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 5, 2007
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending March 31, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 321,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 310,000. The 4-week moving average was 315,750, a decrease of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average of 317,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending March 24, 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 24 was 2,492,000, a decrease of 25,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,517,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,521,250, a decrease of 7,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,528,750.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 266,229 in the week ending March 31, a decrease of 7,364 from the previous week. There were 253,985 initial claims in the comparable week in 2006.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent during the week ending March 24, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,731,527, a decrease of 94,946 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.1 percent and the volume was 2,680,141.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending March 17.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 902 in the week ending March 24, an increase of 54 from the prior week. There were 1,696 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 91 from the preceding week.

There were 16,325 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 17, an increase of 1,902 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 22,935, a decrease of 777 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 17 were in Alaska (5.2 percent), Michigan (4.3), Pennsylvania (3.7), Rhode Island (3.6), Wisconsin (3.6), Puerto Rico (3.4), New Jersey (3.3), Massachusetts (3.2), Vermont (3.1), Connecticut (2.9), and Minnesota (2.9).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 24 were in Michigan (+2,836), California (+1,854), Oklahoma (+1,234), Indiana (+1,215), and Illinois (+963), while the largest decreases were in Mississippi (-4,335), Ohio (-3,784), Pennsylvania (-1,355), Alabama (-1,108), and Wisconsin (-1,037).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 31 March 24 Change March 17 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 321,000 310,000 +11,000 318,000 305,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 266,229 273,593 -7,364 277,187 253,985
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 315,750 317,250 -1,500 324,000 307,250
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 24 March 17 Change March 10 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,492,000 2,517,000 -25,000 2,495,000 2,441,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,731,527 2,826,473 -94,946 2,869,668 2,680,141
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,521,250 2,528,750 -7,500 2,555,500 2,460,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 1.9% 1.9% 0.0 1.9% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.1% 2.2% -0.1 2.2% 2.1%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 24
March 17
Change
Year
Federal Employees 902 848 +54 889
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,696 1,605 +91 1,678
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 17
March 10
Change
Year
Federal Employees 16,325 14,423 +1,902 16,297
Newly Discharged Veterans 22,935 23,712 -777 28,338
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 0 0 0 1,381
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 131,188,612 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 03/24/2007 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MS -4,335 No comment.
OH -3,784 No comment.
PA -1,355 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, food, wood products, and transportation industries.
AL -1,108 Fewer layoffs in the primary metals industry.
WI -1,037 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
IN +1,215 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
OK +1,234 No comment.
CA +1,854 Layoffs in the service and finance industries.
MI +2,836 Layoffs in the automobile industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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