UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Dec. 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 432,000, a decrease of 22,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 454,000. The 4-week moving average was 460,250, a decrease of 5,500 from the previous week's revised average of 465,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.8 percent for the week ending Dec. 19, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 3.8 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Dec. 19 was 4,981,000, a decrease of 57,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 5,038,000. The 4-week moving average was 5,101,000, a decrease of 122,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 5,223,250.
The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 5.621 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 557,155 in the week ending Dec. 26, a decrease of 8,088 from the previous week. There were 717,000 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.9 percent during the week ending Dec. 19, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,090,652, a decrease of 254,815 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.4 percent and the volume was 4,572,637.
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 Dec. 12.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,756 in the week ending Dec. 19, a decrease of 390 from the prior week. There were 2,274 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 123 from the preceding week.
There were 26,422 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 12, a decrease of 49 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 37,526, an increase of 1,378 from the prior week.
States reported 4,448,914 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Dec. 12, an increase of 191,669 from the prior week. There were 1,567,930 claimants in the comparable week in 2008. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Dec. 12 were in Alaska (7.4 percent), Oregon (6.1), Puerto Rico (5.8), Wisconsin (5.6), Michigan (5.5), Idaho (5.4), Montana (5.4), Nevada (5.4), Pennsylvania (5.4), and California (5.3).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 19 were in Michigan (+8,382), California (+7,317), Florida (+3,179), Iowa (+2,820), and Missouri (+1,628), while the largest decreases were in Tennessee (-2,972), Illinois (-2,923), Pennsylvania (-2,875), Georgia (-2,684), and North Carolina (-1,771).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 26 Dec. 19 Change Dec. 12 Year Initial Claims (SA) 432,000 454,000 -22,000 480,000 508,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 557,155 565,243 -8,088 555,383 717,000 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 460,250 465,750 -5,500 468,000 544,000 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 19 Dec. 12 Change Dec. 5 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 4,981,000 5,038,000 -57,000 5,202,000 4,470,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 5,090,652 5,345,467 -254,815 5,192,075 4,572,637 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 5,101,000 5,223,250 -122,250 5,322,750 4,377,750 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.8% 3.8% 0.0 3.9% 3.3% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.9% 4.1% -0.2 3.9% 3.4% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 19 Dec. 12 Change Year Federal Employees 1,756 2,146 -390 1,609 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,274 2,151 +123 1,955 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 12 Dec. 5 Change Year Federal Employees 26,422 26,471 -49 18,968 Newly Discharged Veterans 37,526 36,148 +1,378 25,535 Railroad Retirement Board 11,000 11,000 0 4,000 Extended Benefits 367,498 359,982 +7,516 1,671 EUC 20083 4,448,914 4,257,245 +191,669 1,567,930 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, third, and fourth tier activity.
UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 12/19/2009 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment TN -2,972 No comment.
IL -2,923 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
PA -2,875 No comment.
GA -2,684 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
NC -1,771 Fewer layoffs in the industrial machinery, computer equipment, lumber/wood, furniture, construction, trade, and service industries.
SC -1,740 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
CO -1,236 No comment.
WV -1,104 No comment.
LA -1,049 No comment.
AL -1,021 Fewer layoffs in the construction and textile industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment NY +1,155 Layoffs in the construction, service, and real estate industries.
NV +1,184 No comment.
KY +1,198 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
WA +1,263 No comment.
NJ +1,272 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
OK +1,291 No comment.
WI +1,484 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and utilities industries.
MO +1,628 Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
IA +2,820 Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
FL +3,179 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries, and agriculture.
CA +7,317 Increase due primarily to the fact that the offices were able to process claims for six days, as well as layoffs in the construction and service industries.
MI +8,382 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/
