News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 11-353-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 17, 2011
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending March 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 385,000, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 401,000. The 4-week moving average was 386,250, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week's revised average of 393,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending March 5, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.0 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 5 was 3,706,000, a decrease of 80,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,786,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,779,000, a decrease of 58,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,837,000.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 372,370 in the week ending March 12, a decrease of 37,313 from the previous week. There were 434,424 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.4 percent during the week ending March 5, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,276,916, a decrease of 183,553 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.1 percent and the volume was 5,393,589.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending Feb 26 was 8,953,610.

 

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Extended benefits were available in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, during the week ending Feb 26.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,882 in the week ending March 5, an increase of 386 from the prior week. There were 2,492 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 417 from the preceding week.

There were 43,550 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Feb. 26, an increase of 2,408 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 40,110, an increase of 907 from the prior week.

States reported 3,541,942 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Feb. 26, a decrease of 58,580 from the prior week. There were 5,885,754 claimants in the comparable week in 2010. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Feb. 26 were in Alaska (6.7 percent), Rhode Island (5.5), Montana (5.4), Pennsylvania (5.3), Idaho (5.1), Oregon (5.1), Puerto Rico (5.0), Wisconsin (4.9), New Jersey (4.8), and Connecticut (4.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 5 were in New York (+17,926), California (+13,388), Illinois (+4,514), Pennsylvania (+3,907), and Texas (+2,828), while the largest decreases were in Massachusetts (-2,482), Oregon (-1,680), Rhode Island (-1,120), Connecticut (-838), and Florida (-687).

 

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
WEEK ENDING Advance March 12 March 5 Change Feb. 26 Prior Year1
Initial Claims (SA) 385,000 401,000 -16,000 371,000 454,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 372,370 409,683 -37,313 353,961 434,424
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 386,250 393,250 -7,000 389,250 464,250
WEEK ENDING Advance March 5 Feb. 26 Change Feb. 19 Prior Year1
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,706,000 3,786,000 -80,000 3,791,000 4,694,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 4,276,916 4,460,469 -183,553 4,344,862 5,393,589
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,779,000 3,837,000 -58,000 3,868,000 4,723,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.0% 3.0% 0.0 3.0% 3.6%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 3.4% 3.6% -0.2 3.5% 4.1%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
March 5
Feb. 26
Change
Prior Year1
Federal Employees 1,882 1,496 +386 1,392
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,492 2,075 +417 2,466
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
Feb. 26
Feb. 19
Change
Prior Year1
Regular State 4,445,901 4,332,547 +113,354 5,519,632
Federal Employees (UCFE) 43,550 41,142 +2,408 23,817
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 40,110 39,203 +907 36,575
EUC 20083 3,541,942 3,600,522 -58,580 5,885,754
Extended Benefits4 815,191 702,604 +112,587 161,324
State Additional Benefits 5 8,286 8,195 +91 1,763
STC / Workshare 6 58,630 48,632 +9,998 98,008
TOTAL 8,953,610 8,772,845 +180,765 11,726,873
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 125,560,066 as denominator.
3 - EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity. Tier-specific EUC data can be found here: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/docs/persons.xls
4 - Information on the EB program can be found here: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/extenben.asp
5 - Some states maintain additional benefit programs for those claimants who exhaust regular, extended and emergency benefits. Information on states that participate and the extent of benefits can be  found starting on page 4-5 of this link: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf
6 - Information on STC/Worksharing can be found starting on page 4-9 of the following link: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf

 

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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 03/05/2011 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MA -2,482 No comment.
OR -1,680 No comment.
RI -1,120 Fewer layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
VA +1,000 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
WI +1,009 No comment.
AR +1,031 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
OK +1,085 No comment.
MI +1,094 No comment.
GA +1,152 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
MO +1,281 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
OH +2,246 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
TX +2,828 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
PA +3,907 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and transportation industries.
IL +4,514 Return to a five day workweek.
CA +13,388 Return to a five day workweek.
NY +17,926 Layoffs in the transportation and service industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

 

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