News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 08-490-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 : April 17, 2008
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending April 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 372,000, an increase of 17,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 355,000. The 4-week moving average was 376,000, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average of 376,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending April 5, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.2 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 5 was 2,984,000, an increase of 26,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,958,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,936,500, an increase of 29,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,906,750.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 368,378 in the week ending April 12, an increase of 11,797 from the previous week. There were 317,917 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent during the week ending April 5, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,073,527, a decrease of 132,849 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.0 percent and the volume was 2,594,605.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending March 29.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 929 in the week ending April 5, an increase of 140 from the prior week. There were 1,441 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 21 from the preceding week.

There were 14,407 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 29, an increase of 922 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 21,562, a decrease of 647 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 29 were in Alaska (4.8 percent), Michigan (4.3), Puerto Rico (4.1), Pennsylvania (3.8), Rhode Island (3.7), Wisconsin (3.7), Oregon (3.6), New Jersey (3.4), Vermont (3.4), California (3.2), and Idaho (3.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 5 were in Georgia (+4,306), Michigan (+3,483), Texas (+2,377), Illinois (+2,090), and Washington (+1,985), while the largest decreases were in New Jersey (-2,737), New York (-2,465), Wisconsin (-2,075), Kansas (-1,787), and Puerto Rico
(-1,055).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 12 April 5 Change March 29 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 372,000 355,000 +17,000 406,000 333,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 368,378 356,581 +11,797 341,846 317,917
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 376,000 376,750 -750 374,750 321,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 5 March 29 Change March 22 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,984,000 2,958,000 +26,000 2,952,000 2,521,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,073,527 3,206,376 -132,849 3,235,768 2,594,605
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,936,500 2,906,750 +29,750 2,865,750 2,503,750
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.2% 2.2% 0.0 2.2% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.3% 2.4% -0.1 2.4% 2.0%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
April 5
March 29
Change
Year
Federal Employees 929 789 +140 1,205
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,441 1,420 +21 1,702
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 29
March 22
Change
Year
Federal Employees 14,407 13,485 +922 15,844
Newly Discharged Veterans 21,562 22,209 -647 23,320
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 0 0 0 0
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 133,382,559 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 04/05/2008 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NJ -2,737 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, and service industries.
NY -2,465 Fewer layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
WI -2,075 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
KS -1,787 No comment.
PR -1,055 No comment.
MO -1,030 Fewer layoffs in the construction, transportation, and warehousing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
VA +1,083 Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
OH +1,160 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
HI +1,284 Layoffs in the transportation industry.
AZ +1,546 No comment.
SC +1,862 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NC +1,911 Layoffs in the fabricated metals, transportation, transportation equipment, petroleum, food, and furniture industries.
CA +1,951 Layoffs in the service industry.
WA +1,985 Layoffs in the transportation industry, and agriculture.
IL +2,090 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
TX +2,377 Layoffs in the transportation, finance, service, and manufacturing industries.
MI +3,483 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
GA +4,306 Layoffs in the textile, carpets/rugs, and service industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current


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