SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Sept. 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 530,000, a decrease of 21,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 551,000. The 4-week moving average was 553,500, a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week's revised average of 564,500.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.6 percent for the week ending Sept. 12, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.7 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Sept. 12 was 6,138,000, a decrease of 123,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 6,261,000. The 4-week moving average was 6,187,250, a decrease of 1,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 6,188,500.
The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 5.651 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 434,358 in the week ending Sept. 19, an increase of 21,966 from the previous week. There were 398,070 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.9 percent during the week ending Sept. 12, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,204,972, a decrease of 91,789 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.3 percent and the volume was 3,014,874.
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 Sept. 5.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,141 in the week ending Sept. 12, a decrease of 401 from the prior week. There were 1,919 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 281 from the preceding week.
There were 19,192 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Sept. 5, a decrease of 1,233 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 30,213, a decrease of 51 from the prior week.
States reported 3,223,849 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Sept. 5, an increase of 82,364 from the prior week. There were 1,116,863 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 Sept. 5 were in Puerto Rico (6.7 percent), Oregon (5.6), Nevada (5.4), Pennsylvania (5.4), Michigan (5.2), Wisconsin (4.9), California (4.8), New Jersey (4.8), Connecticut (4.7), North Carolina (4.7), and South Carolina (4.7).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Sept. 12 were in Wisconsin (+1,573), Oregon (+829), and Kansas(+677), while the largest decreases were in Texas (-4,623), Illinois (-4,217), Pennsylvania (-3,961), Michigan (-3,012), and Massachusetts (-2,389).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Sept. 19 Sept. 12 Change Sept. 5 Year Initial Claims (SA) 530,000 551,000 -21,000 557,000 485,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 434,358 412,392 +21,966 466,277 398,070 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 553,500 564,500 -11,000 571,750 460,250 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Sept. 12 Sept. 5 Change Aug. 29 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 6,138,000 6,261,000 -123,000 6,103,000 3,581,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 5,204,972 5,296,761 -91,789 5,437,541 3,014,874 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 6,187,250 6,188,500 -1,250 6,186,250 3,520,750 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 4.6% 4.7% -0.1 4.6% 2.7% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.9% 4.0% -0.1 4.1% 2.3% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Sept. 12 Sept. 5 Change Year Federal Employees 1,141 1,542 -401 1,081 Newly Discharged Veterans 1,919 2,200 -281 1,827 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Sept. 5 Aug. 29 Change Year Federal Employees 19,192 20,425 -1,233 13,386 Newly Discharged Veterans 30,213 30,264 -51 21,920 Railroad Retirement Board 9,000 9,000 0 3,000 Extended Benefits 438,053 435,029 +3,024 1,472 EUC 20083 3,223,849 3,141,485 +82,364 1,116,863 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 09/12/2009 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment TX -4,623 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
IL -4,217 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
PA -3,961 Fewer layoffs in the industrial machinery and service industries.
MI -3,012 No comment.
MA -2,389 Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
FL -2,378 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
KY -2,328 No comment.
SC -2,284 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
CA -2,089 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
GA -1,983 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
NC -1,933 Fewer layoffs in the paper, textile, primary metals, electrical equipment, and electronic equipment industries.
IA -1,909 Fewer layoffs in the trade industry.
NY -1,858 Fewer layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
IN -1,777 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
OH -1,759 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
CT -1,639 No comment.
TN -1,539 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
WA -1,517 No comment.
MO -1,487 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
AZ -1,289 No comment.
LA -1,022 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment WI +1,573 Layoffs in the construction, service, 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/
