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News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL14-531-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 April 3, 2014
   

Note: This week's release reflects the annual revision to the weekly unemployment claims seasonal adjustment factors. The seasonal adjustment factors used for the UI Weekly Claims data from 2009 forward, along with the resulting seasonally adjusted values for initial claims and continuing claims, have been revised.

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 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 326,000, an increase of 16,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 310,000. The 4-week moving average was 319,500, an increase of 250 from the previous week's revised average of 319,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending March 22, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 22 was 2,836,000, an increase of 22,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,814,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,842,250, a decrease of 13,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,855,750.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 289,535 in the week ending March 29, an increase of 15,463 from the previous week. There were 317,494 initial claims in the comparable week in 2013.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending March 22, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,088,725, a decrease of 43,379 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.6 percent and the volume was 3,344,342.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending March 15 was 3,201,504, a decrease of 105,367 from the previous week. There were 5,279,851 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 15.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 996 in the week ending March 22, a decrease of 14 from the prior week. There were 1,802 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 25 from the preceding week.

There were 18,244 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 15, a decrease of 1,115 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 27,298, a decrease of 1,056 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 15 were in Alaska (5.3), New Jersey (3.9), Pennsylvania (3.8), Connecticut (3.7), Rhode Island (3.7), California (3.4), Illinois (3.4), Montana (3.4), Massachusetts (3.3), and Wisconsin (3.3).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 22 were in Texas (+2,424), Florida (+1,698), Puerto Rico (+668), Iowa (+580), and Kansas (+326), while the largest decreases were in California (-8,725), Nebraska (-1,121), Washington (-801), Arkansas (-713), and Tennessee (-698).

 

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
WEEK ENDING Advance March 29 March 22 Change March 15 Prior Year1
Initial Claims (SA) 326,000 310,000 +16,000 323,000 375,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 289,535 274,072 +15,463 285,970 317,494
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 319,500 319,250 +250 329,500 352,500
WEEK ENDING Advance March 22 March 15 Change March 8 Prior Year1
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,836,000 2,814,000 +22,000 2,869,000 3,074,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,088,725 3,132,104 -43,379 3,233,107 3,344,342
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,842,250 2,855,750 -13,500 2,887,500 3,064,250
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.2% 2.1% +0.1 2.2% 2.4%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.4% 2.4% 0.0 2.5% 2.6%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
March 22
March 15
Change
Prior Year1
Federal Employees 996 1,010 -14 1,109
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,802 1,827 -25 2,336
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
March 15
March 8
Change
Prior Year1
Regular State 3,127,041 3,227,182 -100,141 3,386,850
Federal Employees (UCFE) 18,244 19,359 -1,115 20,079
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 27,298 28,354 -1,056 38,573
Extended Benefits3 34 62 -28 579
State Additional Benefits 4 10,297 10,518 -221 5,759
STC / Workshare 5 18,590 21,396 -2,806 28,386
STC / TOTAL6 3,201,504 3,306,871 -105,367 5,279,851
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 22, 2014

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
CA -8,725 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
NE -1,121 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
TX +2,424 Layoffs in the educational service industries, due to spring break closures.
FL +1,698 Layoffs in the agriculture, construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, and service industries.

2009_2014_seasonal_factors.txt
2009_2014_seasonal_factors.xls

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/