<H3>• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims – 15 March 2014 </H3>

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In the week ending March 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 320,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 315,000. The 4-week moving average was 327,000, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 330,500. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending March 8, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending March 1 were in Alaska (5.5), New Jersey (4.0), Rhode Island (4.0), Connecticut (3.9), Connecticut (3.8), California (3.7), Montana (3.6), Wisconsin (3.5), Illinois (3.4), and Massachusetts (3.4). The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending March 8 were in Pennsylvania (+1,961), Washington (+982), Wisconsin (+830), Arkansas (+745), and Illinois (+590), while the largest decreases were in New York (-17,548), Michigan (-1,971), California (-1,262), Connecticut (-1,079), and New Hampshire (-783). Note: “Insured unemployment rate” refers to individuals who are unemployed and receiving UC benefits. See the complete report at this link: USDOL-BLS

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