UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 631,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 643,000. The 4-week moving average was 628,500, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 632,000.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 5.0 percent for the week ending May 9, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.9 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 9 was 6,662,000, an increase of 75,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 6,587,000. The 4-week moving average was 6,480,500, an increase of 131,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 6,349,500.
The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 5.071 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 536,588 in the week ending May 16, a decrease of 33,824 from the previous week. There were 319,694 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.6 percent during the week ending May 9, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 6,189,434, a decrease of 2,110 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.1 percent and the volume was 2,847,329.
Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin during the week ending May 2.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,174 in the week ending May 9, a decrease of 44 from the prior week. There were 1,751 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 67 from the preceding week.
There were 15,868 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending May 2, a decrease of 553 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,542, an increase of 21 from the prior week.
States reported 2,268,367 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending May 2, an increase of 111,851 from the prior week. EUC weekly claims include both first and second tier activity.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending May 2 were in Oregon (7.4 percent), Michigan (6.9), Puerto Rico (6.6), Nevada (6.4), Pennsylvania (6.3), Wisconsin (6.2), Idaho (6.0), California (5.6), Alaska (5.5), New Jersey (5.4), and North Carolina (5.4).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 9 were in Michigan (+16,817), North Carolina (+3,783), Virginia (+2,871), Kentucky (+2,768), and Pennsylvania (+2,444), while the largest decreases were in California (-10,052), Wisconsin (-1,691), Kansas (-1,415), Oklahoma (-1,084), and Washington (-843).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 16 May 9 Change May 2 Year Initial Claims (SA) 631,000 643,000 -12,000 605,000 374,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 536,588 570,412 -33,824 537,539 319,694 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 628,500 632,000 -3,500 624,500 374,750 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 9 May 2 Change April 25 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 6,662,000 6,587,000 +75,000 6,380,000 3,062,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 6,189,434 6,191,544 -2,110 6,283,844 2,847,329 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 6,480,500 6,349,500 +131,000 6,214,000 3,040,000 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 5.0% 4.9% +0.1 4.8% 2.3% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 4.6% 4.6% 0.0 4.7% 2.1% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 9 May 2 Change Year Federal Employees 1,174 1,218 -44 776 Newly Discharged Veterans 1,751 1,684 +67 1,457 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 2 April 25 Change Year Federal Employees 15,868 16,421 -553 11,171 Newly Discharged Veterans 28,542 28,521 +21 20,230 Railroad Retirement Board 10,000 10,000 0 2,000 Extended Benefits 88,882 85,057 +3,825 0 EUC 20083 2,268,367 2,156,516 +111,851 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 133,683,433 as denominator. 3 - EUC weekly claims include both first and second tier activity.
UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 05/09/2009 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment CA -10,052 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
WI -1,691 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
KS -1,415 Fewer layoffs in the service, real estate, transportation, warehousing, and information industries.
OK -1,084 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment MD +1,001 No comment.
LA +1,291 No comment.
GA +1,501 Layoffs in the trade and service industries.
AL +1,690 Layoffs in the primary metals and transportation equipment industries.
MS +1,943 Layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.
OH +2,082 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
TN +2,154 Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
IN +2,265 Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
MO +2,427 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
PA +2,444 Layoffs in the construction and service industries.
KY +2,768 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
VA +2,871 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
NC +3,783 Layoffs in the industrial machinery, furniture, lumber/wood, primary metals, transportation equipment, construction, and trade industries.
MI +16,817 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
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/
