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News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL14-356-NAT
   
   
Program Contacts: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Tom Stengle (202) 693-2991 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Tony Sznoluch (202) 693-3176 8:30 A.M. (Eastern), Thursday
Media Contact: (202) 693-4676 March 6, 2014
   

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending March 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 323,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 349,000. The 4-week moving average was 336,500, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average of 338,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending February 22, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending February 22 was 2,907,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,915,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,927,750, a decrease of 14,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,942,500.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 317,183 in the week ending March 1, an increase of 5,702 from the previous week. There were 335,680 initial claims in the comparable week in 2013.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent during the week ending February 22, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,380,582, an increase of 52,160 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.8 percent and the volume was 3,611,062.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending February 15 was 3,399,445, a decrease of 86,615 from the previous week. There were 5,401,894 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2013.

 

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No state was triggered "on" the Extended Benefits program during the week ending February 15.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,012 in the week ending February 22, a decrease of 166 from the prior week. There were 1,753 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 77 from the preceding week.

There were 20,811 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending February 15, a decrease of 1,497 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,192, a decrease of 1,378 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending February 15 were in Alaska (5.7), Pennsylvania (4.2), New Jersey (4.1), Rhode Island (4.0), Montana (3.7), California (3.6), Wisconsin (3.6), Connecticut (3.5), Illinois (3.5), and Puerto Rico (3.5).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending February 22 were in Georgia (+7,383), Massachusetts (+3,502), South Carolina (+3,320), Connecticut (+1,376), and Alabama (+1,259), while the largest decreases were in California (-4,973), Missouri (-3,642), New York (-3,572), Michigan (-2,322), and Oregon (-1,810).

 

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
WEEK ENDING Advance March 1 Feb. 22 Change Feb. 15 Prior Year1
Initial Claims (SA) 323,000 349,000 -26,000 334,000 340,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 317,183 311,481 +5,702 321,414 335,680
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 336,500 338,500 -2,000 338,250 350,500
WEEK ENDING Advance Feb. 22 Feb. 15 Change Feb. 8 Prior Year1
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,907,000 2,915,000 -8,000 2,956,000 3,105,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,380,582 3,328,422 +52,160 3,411,234 3,611,062
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,927,750 2,942,500 -14,750 2,950,750 3,127,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.2% 2.2% 0.0 2.3% 2.4%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.6% 2.5% +0.1 2.6% 2.8%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
Feb. 22
Feb. 15
Change
Prior Year1
Federal Employees 1,012 1,178 -166 1,138
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,753 1,676 +77 2,188
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
Feb. 15
Feb. 8
Change
Prior Year1
Regular State 3,323,491 3,405,696 -82,205 3,530,009
Federal Employees (UCFE) 20,811 22,308 -1,497 20,902
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 28,192 29,570 -1,378 38,482
Extended Benefits3 29 98 -69 555
State Additional Benefits 4 9,547 9,478 +69 6,000
STC / Workshare 5 17,375 18,910 -1,535 25,320
STC / TOTAL6 3,399,445 3,486,060 -86,615 5,401,894
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 130,938,360 as denominator.

3 - Information on the EB program can be found here: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/extenben.asp
4 - 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 paid, can be found starting on page 4-5 of this link: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf
5 - 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
6 - Prior year total includes EUC claimants.

 

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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED FEBRUARY 22, 2014

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
CA -4,973   Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
MO -3,642   Fewer layoffs in the construction, transportation and warehousing, and accommodation and food services industries.
NY -3,572   Fewer layoffs in the construction, food services, retail trade industries.
MI -2,322   Fewer layoffs in the wholesale trade industries.
OR -1,810   Decrease reflects return to recent trend levels after last week's increase due to inclement weather.
WA -1,767   No comment.
TX -1,617   No comment.
IL -1,574   No comment.
OH -1,172   Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
GA +7,383   Layoffs in the manufacturing, construction, administrative and support services, accommodation and food services, and health care and social assistance industries.
MA +3,502  

Layoffs in the educational services industries.
SC +3,320   Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
CT +1,376   No comment.
AL +1,259   Layoffs in the construction, and manufacturing industries.
NC +1,088   Layoffs in the nonclassifiable establishments and business services industries.
NJ +1,064   Layoffs in the accommodation and food services, manufacturing, and health care and social assistance industries.

This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-693-4676. TDD Message Phone: 1-800-326-2577. News releases from the U.S. Department of Labor are accessible on the Internet at: http://www.dol.gov/ and  https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims_arch.asp.