News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 07-394-NAT
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Subri Raman (202) 693-3058 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Tony Sznoluch (202) 693-3176 8:30 A.M. (EDT), THURSDAY
Media Contact : March 22, 2007
(202) 693-4676  
 
Calendar Year 2007 Seasonal Factors: Seasonal factors for CY 2007 and the revised historical series for CY 2002-2006 for both initial claims and continued claims will be made available on March 29, 2007, with the release of the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending March 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 316,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 320,000. The 4-week moving average was 326,000, a decrease of 3,750 from the previous week's revised average of 329,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending March 10, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.0 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 10 was 2,501,000, a decrease of 69,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,570,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,555,750, a decrease of 1,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,557,000.

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 274,263 in the week ending March 17, a decrease of 24,543 from the previous week. There were 269,237 initial claims in the comparable week in 2006.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending March 10, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,875,899, a decrease of 140,971 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.2 percent and the volume was 2,840,272.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending March 3.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,051 in the week ending March 10, an increase of 75 from the prior week. There were 1,806 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 8 from the preceding week.

There were 18,345 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending March 3, an increase of 2,723 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 24,049, a decrease of 116 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 3 were in Alaska (5.2 percent), Michigan (4.6), Pennsylvania (3.9), Wisconsin (3.8), Rhode Island (3.7), New Jersey (3.4), Massachusetts (3.3), Puerto Rico (3.3), Vermont (3.3), Connecticut (3.0), Minnesota (3.0), Montana (3.0), and Oregon (3.0).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 10 were in Texas (+2,837), North Carolina (+2,642), Wisconsin (+1,444), Pennsylvania (+1,003), and Minnesota (+950), while the largest decreases were in New York (-10,766), Michigan (-8,039), California (-3,181), Kansas (-1,794), and Illinois (-1,791).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 17 March 10 Change March 3 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 316,000 320,000 -4,000 330,000 312,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 274,263 298,806 -24,543 320,198 269,237
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 326,000 329,750 -3,750 339,500 312,250
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING March 10 March 3 Change Feb. 24 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,501,000 2,570,000 -69,000 2,528,000 2,463,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,875,899 3,016,870 -140,971 3,013,253 2,840,272
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,555,750 2,557,000 -1,250 2,553,000 2,476,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 1.9% 2.0% -0.1 1.9% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.2% 2.3% -0.1 2.3% 2.2%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 10
March 3
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,051 976 +75 992
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,806 1,814 -8 1,950
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
March 3
Feb. 24
Change
Year
Federal Employees 18,345 15,622 +2,723 17,592
Newly Discharged Veterans 24,049 24,165 -116 28,797
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 0 17 -17 3,060
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 131,188,612 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 03/10/2007 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NY -10,766 Fewer layoffs in the service and transportation industries.
MI -8,039 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
CA -3,181 Fewer layoffs in the construction industry.
KS -1,794 Fewer layoffs in the finance , insurance, and transportation equipment industries.
IL -1,791 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
CT -1,536 No comment.
OR -1,245 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
PA +1,003 Layoffs in the construction, service, and transportation industries.
WI +1,444 Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
NC +2,642 Layoffs in the construction, trade, textile, furniture, tobacco, electrical equipment, and electronics industries.
TX +2,837 Layoffs in the service, real estate, and manufacturing industries.

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  http://www.ows.doleta.gov/