SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Sept. 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 545,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 557,000. The 4-week moving average was 563,000, a decrease of 8,750 from the previous week's revised average of 571,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.7 percent for the week ending Sept. 5, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.6 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Sept. 5 was 6,230,000, an increase of 129,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 6,101,000. The 4-week moving average was 6,180,250, a decrease of 5,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 6,185,750.
The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 5.636 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 407,869 in the week ending Sept. 12, a decrease of 58,429 from the previous week. There were 382,249 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.0 percent during the week ending Sept. 5, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,270,688, a decrease of 165,485 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.3 percent and the volume was 3,040,859.
Extended benefits were available in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin during the week ending Aug. 29.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,539 in the week ending Sept. 5, an increase of 83 from the prior week. There were 2,195 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 42 from the preceding week.
There were 20,414 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Aug. 29, an increase of 699 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 30,213, a decrease of 563 from the prior week.
States reported 3,141,485 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Aug. 29, an increase of 21,781 from the prior week. There were 1,525,890 claimants in the comparable week in 2008. EUC weekly claims include both first and second tier activity.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Aug. 29 were in Puerto Rico (6.8 percent), Oregon (5.7), Pennsylvania (5.7), Nevada (5.5), Michigan (5.2), Connecticut (5.1), New Jersey (5.1), California (5.0), Wisconsin (5.0), North Carolina (4.8), and Rhode Island (4.8).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Sept. 5 were in Washington (+2,620), Pennsylvania (+2,573), Massachusetts(+1,565), North Carolina (+1,332), and Illinois (+1,218), while the largest decreases were in California (-2,751), New York (-2,479), Wisconsin (-1,149), Texas (-809), and New Jersey (-700).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Sept. 12 Sept. 5 Change Aug. 29 Year Initial Claims (SA) 545,000 557,000 -12,000 576,000 459,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 407,869 466,298 -58,429 456,682 382,249 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 563,000 571,750 -8,750 572,750 447,250 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Sept. 5 Aug. 29 Change Aug. 22 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 6,230,000 6,101,000 +129,000 6,247,000 3,507,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 5,270,688 5,436,173 -165,485 5,622,401 3,040,859 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 6,180,250 6,185,750 -5,500 6,220,250 3,488,250 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 4.7% 4.6% +0.1 4.7% 2.6% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 4.0% 4.1% -0.1 4.2% 2.3% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Sept. 5 Aug. 29 Change Year Federal Employees 1,539 1,456 +83 942 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,195 2,153 +42 1,692 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Aug. 29 Aug. 22 Change Year Federal Employees 20,414 19,715 +699 13,402 Newly Discharged Veterans 30,213 30,776 -563 21,256 Railroad Retirement Board 10,000 10,000 0 3,000 Extended Benefits 435,029 424,847 +10,182 582 EUC 20083 3,141,485 3,119,704 +21,781 1,525,890 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 133,078,480 as denominator. 3 - EUC weekly claims include both first and second tier activity.
UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 09/05/2009 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment CA -2,751 Fewer layoffs in the trade and service industries.
NY -2,479 Fewer layoffs in the service and transportation industries.
WI -1,149 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment SC +1,157 Layoffs in the transportation equipment and industrial machinery industries.
IL +1,218 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
NC +1,332 Layoffs in the paper, furniture, and computer industries.
MA +1,565 Layoffs in the construction industry.
PA +2,573 Layoffs in the transportation equipment, industrial machinery, primary metals, and service industries.
WA +2,620 Layoffs in the construction, service, public administration, 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/
