SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Dec. 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 480,000, an increase of 7,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 473,000. The 4-week moving average was 467,500, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average of 472,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.9 percent for the week ending Dec. 5, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.9 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Dec. 5 was 5,186,000, an increase of 5,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 5,181,000. The 4-week moving average was 5,318,250, a decrease of 106,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 5,425,000.
The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 5.722 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 555,344 in the week ending Dec. 12, a decrease of 107,393 from the previous week. There were 629,867 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.9 percent during the week ending Dec. 5, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,176,122, a decrease of 222,989 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.3 percent and the volume was 4,378,273.
Extended benefits were available in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, 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 Mexico, 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 Nov. 28.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,081 in the week ending Dec. 5, an increase of 340 from the prior week. There were 2,390 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 1,007 from the preceding week.
There were 25,903 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Nov. 28, an increase of 1,764 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 36,441, an increase of 2,689 from the prior week.
States reported 4,226,300 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Nov. 28, an increase of 45,922 from the prior week. There were 994,188 claimants in the comparable week in 2008. EUC weekly claims include first, second, and third tier activity.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Nov. 28 were in Wisconsin (6.4 percent), Oregon (6.3), Alaska (6.2), Nevada (5.5), Puerto Rico (5.4), Michigan (5.3), Pennsylvania (5.3), Arkansas (5.2), Idaho (5.2), North Carolina (5.2), and Washington (5.2).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 5 were in California (+28,358), Georgia (+19,454), North Carolina (+18,500), Pennsylvania (+17,372), and New York (+16,344), while the largest decreases were in Kansas (-3,803), Kentucky (-2,048), Idaho (-979), Iowa (-917), and Puerto Rico (-892).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 12 Dec. 5 Change Nov. 28 Year Initial Claims (SA) 480,000 473,000 +7,000 454,000 552,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 555,344 662,737 -107,393 457,707 629,867 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 467,500 472,750 -5,250 480,750 535,250 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 5 Nov. 28 Change Nov. 21 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 5,186,000 5,181,000 +5,000 5,470,000 4,356,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 5,176,122 5,399,111 -222,989 4,791,751 4,378,273 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 5,318,250 5,425,000 -106,750 5,542,500 4,208,250 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.9% 3.9% 0.0 4.1% 3.3% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.9% 4.1% -0.2 3.6% 3.3% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 5 Nov. 28 Change Year Federal Employees 2,081 1,741 +340 2,054 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,390 1,383 +1,007 2,107 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Nov. 28 Nov. 21 Change Year Federal Employees 25,903 24,139 +1,764 18,180 Newly Discharged Veterans 36,441 33,752 +2,689 26,301 Railroad Retirement Board 10,000 10,000 0 4,000 Extended Benefits 503,100 405,263 +97,837 23,300 EUC 20083 4,226,300 4,180,378 +45,922 994,188 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 131,823,421 as denominator. 3 - EUC weekly claims include first, second, and third tier activity.
UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 12/05/2009 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment KS -3,803 No comment.
KY -2,048 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment UT +1,142 No comment.
MA +1,212 Layoffs in the construction and trade industries.
MS +1,520 No comment.
CO +1,892 No comment.
WV +2,175 No comment.
OH +2,192 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
AZ +2,319 No comment.
NV +2,561 Return to a five day workweek.
WI +2,707 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, and warehousing industries.
CT +2,973 No comment.
NJ +3,109 Return to a five day workweek, as well as layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.
MN +3,681 No comment.
MO +3,728 Layoffs in the construction and service industries.
OR +3,858 No comment.
MD +4,058 No comment.
WA +4,812 Layoffs in the finance, insurance, and trade industries.
AL +5,695 Layoffs in the construction, service, and apparel industries.
VA +6,174 Return to a five day workweek, as well as layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MI +6,285 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
SC +6,505 Layoffs in the textile industry.
TN +7,569 Layoffs in the transportation equipment, rubber/plastics, textile, trade, and service industries.
FL +8,680 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
IL +8,754 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
TX +12,222 Layoffs in the information, service, and manufacturing industries.
NY +16,344 Layoffs in the construction, service, and transportation industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment PA +17,372 Layoffs in the chemical, mining, industrial machinery, transportation equipment, electrical equipment, electronic equipment, primary metals, fabricated metals, and stone/clay/glass industries.
NC +18,500 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, lumber/wood, rubber/plastics, textile, and furniture industries.
GA +19,454 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
CA +28,358 Return to a five day workweek, as well as layoffs in the construction and service 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/
