SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Jan. 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 434,000, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 433,000. The 4-week moving average was 450,250, a decrease of 10,250 from the previous week's revised average of 460,500.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending Dec. 26, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.8 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Dec. 26 was 4,802,000, a decrease of 179,000 from the preceding week's unrevised level of 4,981,000. The 4-week moving average was 5,005,750, a decrease of 95,250 from the preceding week's unrevised average of 5,101,000.
The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 5.565 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 645,571 in the week ending Jan. 2, an increase of 88,000 from the previous week. There were 731,958 initial claims in the comparable week in 2009.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.2 percent during the week ending Dec. 26, an increase of 0.3 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,479,110, an increase of 388,729 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.0 percent and the volume was 5,317,388.
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. 19.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,651 in the week ending Dec. 26, a decrease of 105 from the prior week. There were 1,381 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 893 from the preceding week.
There were 25,771 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 19, a decrease of 651 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 34,397, a decrease of 3,129 from the prior week.
States reported 5,143,410 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Dec. 19, an increase of 235,626 from the prior week. There were 1,922,488 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. 19 were in Alaska (6.7 percent), Oregon (5.9), Puerto Rico (5.8), Nevada (5.6), Idaho (5.5), Pennsylvania (5.2), Wisconsin (5.2), Montana (5.1), Washington (5.1), and Michigan (5.0).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 26 were in Pennsylvania (+9,653), Kentucky (+6,069), Indiana (+5,537), Kansas (+5,166), and Ohio (+4,361), while the largest decreases were in California (-23,160), Texas (-7,956), Georgia (-4,661), Florida (-3,736), and North Carolina (-2,993).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Jan. 2 Dec. 26 Change Dec. 19 Year Initial Claims (SA) 434,000 433,000 +1,000 454,000 488,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 645,571 557,571 +88,000 565,243 731,958 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 450,250 460,500 -10,250 465,750 528,000 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 26 Dec. 19 Change Dec. 12 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 4,802,000 4,981,000 -179,000 5,038,000 4,529,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 5,479,110 5,090,381 +388,729 5,345,467 5,317,388 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 5,005,750 5,101,000 -95,250 5,223,250 4,421,500 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.6% 3.8% -0.2 3.8% 3.4% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 4.2% 3.9% +0.3 4.1% 4.0% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 26 Dec. 19 Change Year Federal Employees 1,651 1,756 -105 1,419 Newly Discharged Veterans 1,381 2,274 -893 1,115 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Dec. 19 Dec. 12 Change Year Federal Employees 25,771 26,422 -651 19,158 Newly Discharged Veterans 34,397 37,526 -3,129 24,112 Railroad Retirement Board 11,000 11,000 0 5,000 Extended Benefits 296,534 367,498 -70,964 1,168 EUC 20083 5,143,410 4,907,784 +235,626 1,922,488 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 12/26/2009 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment CA -23,160 Decrease due to a shorter workweek, as well as fewer layoffs in the construction and service industries.
TX -7,956 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
GA -4,661 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
FL -3,736 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries, and agriculture.
NC -2,993 Fewer layoffs in the construction and service industries.
AZ -2,175 No comment.
NY -2,043 Decrease due to a shorter workweek, as well as fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and real estate industries.
NV -1,871 No comment.
CO -1,421 No comment.
LA -1,386 No comment.
CT -1,307 No comment.
OK -1,246 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment TN +1,461 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MD +1,489 No comment.
AR +1,638 No comment.
MO +2,342 Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.
NJ +2,540 Layoffs in the construction, service, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.
IL +2,571 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
WI +2,749 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, and warehousing industries.
MA +2,757 No comment.
MI +2,994 No comment.
OH +4,361 No comment.
KS +5,166 No comment.
IN +5,537 Layoffs in the automobile, transportation, service, and manufacturing industries.
KY +6,069 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
PA +9,653 Layoffs in the construction, service, food, and transportation 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/
