News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 08-317-NAT
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Scott Gibbons (202) 693-3008 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Tony Sznoluch (202) 693-3176 8:30 A.M. (EDT), THURSDAY
Media Contact : March 13, 2008
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending March 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 353,000, unchanged from the previous week's revised figure of 353,000. The 4-week moving average was 358,500, a decrease of 1,250 from the previous week's revised average of 359,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent for the week ending March 1, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.1 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 1 was 2,835,000, an increase of 7,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,828,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,812,750, an increase of 24,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,788,250.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 338,756 in the week ending March 8, a decrease of 6,572 from the previous week. There were 298,927 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent during the week ending March 1, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,342,839, a decrease of 37,143 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.3 percent and the volume was 3,016,840.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending Feb. 23.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 881 in the week ending March 1, an increase of 33 from the prior week. There were 1,544 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 253 from the preceding week.

There were 15,281 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Feb. 23, a decrease of 1,807 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 22,865, an increase of 354 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Feb. 23 were in Alaska (4.8 percent), Rhode Island (4.4), Michigan (4.3), Idaho (3.9), Pennsylvania (3.9), Wisconsin (3.8), New Jersey (3.7), Massachusetts (3.6), Oregon (3.5), and Vermont (3.5).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 1 were in New York (+13,707), South Carolina (+2,679), California (+1,287), Arkansas (+1,120), and North Carolina (+790), while the largest decreases were in Massachusetts (-3,656), Louisiana (-1,831), Michigan (-1,768), Wisconsin (-1,084), and Rhode Island (-898).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 8 March 1 Change Feb. 23 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 353,000 353,000 0 374,000 314,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 338,756 345,328 -6,572 329,925 298,927
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 358,500 359,750 -1,250 360,750 327,750
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 1 Feb. 23 Change Feb. 16 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,835,000 2,828,000 +7,000 2,802,000 2,581,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,342,839 3,379,982 -37,143 3,298,510 3,016,840
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,812,750 2,788,250 +24,500 2,776,250 2,556,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.1% 2.1% 0.0 2.1% 2.0%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.5% 2.5% 0.0 2.5% 2.3%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 1
Feb. 23
Change
Year
Federal Employees 881 848 +33 976
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,544 1,291 +253 1,814
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Feb. 23
Feb. 16
Change
Year
Federal Employees 15,281 17,088 -1,807 15,626
Newly Discharged Veterans 22,865 22,511 +354 24,179
Railroad Retirement Board 4,000 4,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 0 0 0 17
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 133,010,953 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 03/01/2008 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MA -3,656 Fewer layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
LA -1,831 No comment.
MI -1,768 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
WI -1,084 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
AR +1,120 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
CA +1,287 No comment.
SC +2,679 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NY +13,707 Layoffs in the transportation and service industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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