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News Release

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending April 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 654,000, a decrease of 20,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 674,000. The 4-week moving average was 657,250, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average of 658,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.4 percent for the week ending March 28, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.3 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 28 was 5,840,000, an increase of 95,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 5,745,000. The 4-week moving average was 5,647,500, an increase of 146,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 5,500,750.

The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 4.753 million.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 618,451 in the week ending April 4, an increase of 19,149 from the previous week. There were 357,206 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.8 percent during the week ending March 28, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 6,441,315, an increase of 52,545 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.4 percent and the volume was 3,200,533.

Extended benefits were available in Alaska, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin during the week ending March 21.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,078 in the week ending March 28, an increase of 25 from the prior week. There were 1,831 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 167 from the preceding week.

There were 18,081 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 21, a decrease of 1,518 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,448, a decrease of 258 from the prior week.

States reported 1,536,256 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending March 21, an increase of 21,162 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 21 were in Michigan (7.7 percent), Oregon (7.6), Rhode Island (7.5), Puerto Rico (7.2), Idaho (7.0), Wisconsin (6.9), Pennsylvania (6.5), Montana (6.0), Nevada (6.0), and Vermont (6.0).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 28 were in Kentucky (+5,029), Michigan (+4,428), Illinois (+3,498), Ohio (+3,000), and Tennessee (+2,718), while the largest decreases were in California (-7,057), Pennsylvania (-3,302), Missouri (-2,193), Kansas (-1,726), and Minnesota (-1,559).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

Advance

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

April 4

March 28

Change

March 21

Year

Initial Claims (SA)

654,000

674,000

-20,000

657,000

358,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

618,451

599,302

+19,149

590,067

357,206

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

657,250

658,000

-750

650,250

370,250

Advance

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

March 28

March 21

Change

March 14

Year

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

5,840,000

5,745,000

+95,000

5,567,000

2,923,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

6,441,315

6,388,770

+52,545

6,440,530

3,200,533

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

5,647,500

5,500,750

+146,750

5,333,000

2,879,750

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

4.4%

4.3%

+0.1

4.2%

2.2%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

4.8%

4.8%

0.0

4.8%

2.4%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

March 28

March 21

Change

Year

Federal Employees

1,078

1,053

+25

787

Newly Discharged Veterans

1,831

1,664

+167

1,411

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

March 21

March 14

Change

Year

Federal Employees

18,081

19,599

-1,518

13,446

Newly Discharged Veterans

28,448

28,706

-258

22,026

Railroad Retirement Board

9,000

9,000

0

3,000

Extended Benefits

10,006

7,381

+2,625

0

EUC 2008

1,536,256

1,515,094

+21,162

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 133,886,830 as denominator.

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 03/28/2009

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

CA

-7,057

Fewer layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.

PA

-3,302

Fewer layoffs in the food, construction, and service industries.

MO

-2,193

Fewer layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.

KS

-1,726

No comment.

MN

-1,559

No comment.

MD

-1,405

No comment.

NJ

-1,391

Fewer layoffs in the trade and service industries.

NC

-1,197

Fewer layoffs in the transportation equipment, electrical equipment, electronic equipment, computer equipment, and industrial machinery industries.

TX

-1,152

Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, information, and manufacturing industries.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

WA

+1,252

Layoffs in the information and manufacturing industries.

MS

+1,288

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

VA

+1,580

Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.

AR

+1,942

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

IN

+2,140

Layoffs in the automobile industry.

WI

+2,173

Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.

OR

+2,434

Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.

AL

+2,555

Layoffs in the industrial machinery and service industries.

TN

+2,718

Layoffs in the trade and manufacturing industries.

OH

+3,000

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

IL

+3,498

No comment.

MI

+4,428

Layoffs in the automobile industry.

KY

+5,029

Layoffs in the automobile, trade, and manufacturing industries.

State Detail Prior WeekUI Claims Series 1967 to current

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Agency
Employment and Training Administration
Date
April 9, 2009