News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 08-447-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 : April 10, 2008
(202) 693-4676  
 

Please note that due to a technical error, this news release was posted at 8:30 a.m. at www.doleta.gov with incorrect data. The problem was identified immediately, and the release was re-posted with correct data, as shown below. We apologize for the error.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending April 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 357,000, a decrease of 53,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 410,000. The 4-week moving average was 378,250, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average of 375,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending March 29, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.2 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 29 was 2,940,000, an increase of 3,000 from the preceding week's unrevised level of 2,937,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,898,500, an increase of 36,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,862,000.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 359,057 in the week ending April 5, an increase of 13,063 from the previous week. There were 328,266 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending March 29, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,187,375, a decrease of 31,498 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.0 percent and the volume was 2,688,419.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending March 22.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 783 in the week ending March 29, an increase of 19 from the prior week. There were 1,391 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 115 from the preceding week.

There were 13,345 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 22, a decrease of 1,967 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 22,009, a decrease of 17 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 22 were in Alaska (4.4 percent), Michigan (4.3), Rhode Island (3.8), Wisconsin (3.7), Pennsylvania (3.6), Idaho (3.4), Oregon (3.4), Vermont (3.4), New Jersey (3.3), and Puerto Rico (3.3).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 29 were in Indiana * (+7,443), New York (+4,123), Puerto Rico (+3,900), New Jersey (+3,294), and Kentucky (+2,840), while the largest decreases were in Pennsylvania (-2,513), California (-1,595), Iowa (-895), Virginia (-800), and Illinois
(-509).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING April 5 March 29 Change March 22 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 357,000 410,000 -53,000 371,000 328,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 359,057 345,994 +13,063 316,598 328,266
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 378,250 375,750 +2,500 359,250 316,750
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 29 March 22 Change March 15 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,940,000 2,937,000 +3,000 2,852,000 2,506,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,187,375 3,218,873 -31,498 3,254,650 2,688,419
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,898,500 2,862,000 +36,500 2,829,750 2,496,250
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.2% 2.2% 0.0 2.1% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.4% 2.4% 0.0 2.4% 2.0%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 29
March 22
Change
Year
Federal Employees 783 764 +19 882
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,391 1,276 +115 1,549
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 22
March 15
Change
Year
Federal Employees 13,435 15,402 -1,967 13,813
Newly Discharged Veterans 22,009 22,026 -17 23,347
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 0 0 0 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 133,010,953 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 03/29/2008 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
PA -2,513 Fewer layoffs in the electrical equipment, food, transportation, and utilities industries.
CA -1,595 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
KS +1,079 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
TN +1,365 Layoffs in the transportation equipment, apparel, industrial machinery, wood products, and service industries.
AL +1,564 Layoffs in the primary metals, textile, apparel, and transportation equipment industries.
OR +1,666 No comment.
WI +2,263 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.
NC +2,428 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and textile industries.
KY +2,840 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NJ +3,294 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, and warehousing industries.
PR +3,900 No comment.
NY +4,123 Layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
IN* +7,443 Layoffs in the automobile, trade, and manufacturing industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

* Note: Subsequent to publication, Indiana revised its counts of initial claims, which changed its increase from 7,443 to 2,997. Revised numbers will be reflected in future reports.


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