UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Jan. 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 467,000, a decrease of 24,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 491,000. The 4-week moving average was 525,750, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's revised average of 552,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.4 percent for the week ending Dec. 27, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.4 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Dec. 27 was 4,611,000, an increase of 101,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,510,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,470,000, an increase of 45,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,425,000.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 726,420 in the week ending Jan. 3, an increase of 9,420 from the previous week. There were 521,311 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.0 percent during the week ending Dec. 27, an increase of 0.6 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,316,124, an increase of 743,487 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.5 percent and the volume was 3,273,400.
Extended benefits were available in North Carolina, Oregon, and Rhode Island during the week ending Dec. 20.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,420 in the week ending Dec. 27, a decrease of 193 from the prior week. There were 1,116 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 841 from the preceding week.
There were 19,144 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 20, an increase of 199 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 24,088, a decrease of 1,410 from the prior week.
States reported 1,922,497 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Dec. 20, an increase of 359,728 from the prior week.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Dec. 20 were in Oregon (6.1 percent), Idaho (5.3), Michigan (5.2), Nevada (5.1), Puerto Rico (5.0), Pennsylvania (4.7), Wisconsin (4.7), South Carolina (4.4), Arkansas (4.3), Indiana (4.2), New Jersey (4.2), and Washington (4.2).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 27 were in Wisconsin (+16,081), Michigan (+10,524), Kansas (+10,485), Massachusetts (+10,265), and New Jersey (+7,330), while the largest decreases were in Texas (-13,232), California (-9,702), Florida (-8,566), Virginia (-5,943), and South Carolina (-4,678).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Jan. 3 Dec. 27 Change Dec. 20 Year Initial Claims (SA) 467,000 491,000 -24,000 589,000 330,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 726,420 717,000 +9,420 719,615 521,311 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 525,750 552,750 -27,000 558,750 342,750 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 27 Dec. 20 Change Dec. 13 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 4,611,000 4,510,000 +101,000 4,372,000 2,690,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 5,316,124 4,572,637 +743,487 4,594,820 3,273,400 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 4,470,000 4,425,000 +45,000 4,320,250 2,694,000 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.4% 3.4% 0.0 3.3% 2.0% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 4.0% 3.4% +0.6 3.4% 2.5% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 27 Dec. 20 Change Year Federal Employees 1,420 1,613 -193 1,446 Newly Discharged Veterans 1,116 1,957 -841 948 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 20 Dec. 13 Change Year Federal Employees 19,144 18,945 +199 18,294 Newly Discharged Veterans 24,088 25,498 -1,410 22,908 Railroad Retirement Board 4,000 4,000 0 3,000 Extended Benefits 1,168 1,671 -503 0 EUC 2008 1,922,497 1,562,769 +359,728 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 133,902,387 as denominator.
UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 12/27/2008 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment TX -13,232 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
CA -9,702 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and finance industries.
FL -8,566 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
VA -5,943 No comment.
SC -4,678 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
LA -3,618 No comment.
AZ -3,596 No comment.
MO -3,283 Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
GA -3,102 Fewer layoffs in the trade and textile industries.
NY -2,765 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
CO -2,714 No comment.
TN -2,584 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
NV -2,038 No comment.
NC -1,881 Fewer layoffs in the construction, furniture, and transportation industries.
AR -1,746 Fewer layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.
PR -1,705 No comment.
UT -1,572 No comment.
WV -1,485 No comment.
KY -1,469 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MT -1,221 No comment.
IL -1,171 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment VT +1,059 No comment.
ID +1,358 No comment.
OR +1,465 Layoffs in the public administration and manufacturing industries.
IA +1,870 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
State Change State Supplied Comment IN +1,960 Layoffs in the automobile, trade, and manufacturing industries.
MD +2,176 No comment.
OH +3,271 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
WA +5,332 Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
PA +6,664 Layoffs in the industrial machinery, fabricated metals, transportation, and food industries.
NJ +7,330 Layoffs in the construction, service, transportation, warehousing, public administration, and manufacturing industries.
MA +10,265 Layoffs in the transportation industry.
KS +10,485 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MI +10,524 Holiday shutdowns in a variety of industries contributed to the increase.
WI +16,081 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, and warehousing industries.
State Detail Prior Week UI Claims Series 1967 to current
