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News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL14-495-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 27, 2014
   

Note: Calendar Year (CY) 2014 Seasonal Factors and revised seasonal factors and historical series for CY 2009-2013 for both initial claims and continued claims will be made available April 3, 2014, with the release of the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Weekly Claims News Release.

In addition, beginning April 10, 2014, the UI Weekly Claims News Release will be issued under a revised (.pdf) format. The new version of the release will include graphics and tables for additional information and ease of use.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending March 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 311,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 321,000. The 4-week moving average was 317,750, a decrease of 9,500 from the previous week's revised average of 327,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending March 15, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 15 was 2,823,000, a decrease of 53,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,876,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,862,500, a decrease of 31,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,894,000.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 273,411 in the week ending March 22, a decrease of 12,559 from the previous week. There were 315,620 initial claims in the comparable week in 2013.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending March 15, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,144,812, a decrease of 88,295 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.6 percent and the volume was 3,402,007.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending March 8 was 3,306,871, a decrease of 43,157 from the previous week. There were 5,455,779 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 March 8.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,010 in the week ending March 15, a decrease of 47 from the prior week. There were 1,827 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 147 from the preceding week.

There were 19,359 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 8, an increase of 244 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,354, an increase of 476 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 8 were in Alaska (5.5), New Jersey (4.1), Rhode Island (3.9), Connecticut (3.8), Pennsylvania (3.7), California (3.6), Illinois (3.6), Montana (3.4),Massachusetts (3.3), Wisconsin (3.3)Puerto Rico (3.2), West Virginia (3.2), Maine (3.1) ,Michigan (3.1), Nevada (3.1) and New York (2.9).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 15 were in California (+3,189), Nebraska (+1,044), Virginia (+513), Missouri (+492), and Tennessee (+474), while the largest decreases were in Pennsylvania (-3,166), Illinois (-2,320), New York (-2,155), Texas (-1,373), and Wisconsin (-1,055).

 

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
WEEK ENDING Advance March 22 March 15 Change March 8 Prior Year1
Initial Claims (SA) 311,000 321,000 -10,000 315,000 357,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 273,411 285,970 -12,559 302,311 315,620
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 317,750 327,250 -9,500 330,500 343,000
WEEK ENDING Advance March 15 March 8 Change March 1 Prior Year1
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,823,000 2,876,000 -53,000 2,848,000 3,070,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,144,812 3,233,107 -88,295 3,277,983 3,402,007
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,862,500 2,894,000 -31,500 2,914,000 3,077,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.2% 2.2% 0.0 2.2% 2.4%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.4% 2.5% -0.1 2.5% 2.6%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
March 15
March 8
Change
Prior Year1
Federal Employees 1,010 1,057 -47 1,176
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,827 1,974 -147 2,270
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
March 8
March 1
Change
Prior Year1
Regular State 3,227,182 3,272,175 -44,993 3,453,591
Federal Employees (UCFE) 19,359 19,115 +244 20,353
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 28,354 27,878 +476 38,323
Extended Benefits3 62 33 +29 563
State Additional Benefits 4 10,518 10,081 +437 5,959
STC / Workshare 5 21,396 20,746 +650 30,666
STC / TOTAL6 3,306,871 3,350,028 -43,157 5,455,779
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 MARCH 15, 2014

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
PA -3,166 Fewer layoffs in the construction, and administrative and support services industries.
IL -2,320 Fewer layofffs in the construction, and administrative and support services, and trade industries.
NY -2,155 Fewer layoffs in the transportation and warehousing, construction, and retail trade industries.
TX -1,373 No comment.
WI -1,055 No comment.
WA -1,026 No comment.
NJ -1,008 Fewer layoffs in the construction, manufacturing, and trade industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
CA +3,189 Layoffs in the services and retail trade industries.
NE +1,044 No comment.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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/