SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 469,000, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 498,000. The 4-week moving average was 470,750, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 474,250.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Feb. 20, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 3.6 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Feb. 20 was 4,500,000, a decrease of 134,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,634,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,575,750, a decrease of 29,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,605,000.
The fiscal year-to-date average of seasonally adjusted weekly insured unemployment, which corresponds to the appropriated AWIU trigger, was 5.186 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 471,720 in the week ending Feb. 27, an increase of 17,128 from the previous week. There were 645,827 initial claims in the comparable week in 2009.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.3 percent during the week ending Feb. 20, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,571,085, an increase of 24,534 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.7 percent and the volume was 6,231,080.
Extended benefits were available in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, 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 Feb. 13.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,196 in the week ending Feb. 20, unchanged from the prior week. There were 1,946 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 244 from the preceding week.
There were 23,773 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Feb. 13, a decrease of 322 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 35,473, a decrease of 956 from the prior week.
States reported 5,687,574 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Feb. 13, an increase of 207,632 from the prior week. There were 1,929,723 claimants in the comparable week in 2009. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Feb. 13 were in Alaska (7.4 percent), Oregon (6.4), Pennsylvania (6.4), Idaho (6.3), Montana (6.3), Wisconsin (6.2), Puerto Rico (6.1), Michigan (5.8), Nevada (5.7), and North Carolina (5.4).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Feb. 20 were in New Jersey (+4,879), Massachusetts (+4,744), Connecticut (+2,018), Missouri (+1,920), and Maryland (+1,499), while the largest decreases were in California (-12,000), North Carolina (-7,981), Florida (-2,564), Michigan (-2,484), and Ohio (-2,130).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Feb. 27 Feb. 20 Change Feb. 13 Year Initial Claims (SA) 469,000 498,000 -29,000 474,000 643,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 471,720 454,592 +17,128 478,235 645,827 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 470,750 474,250 -3,500 467,750 636,750 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING Feb. 20 Feb. 13 Change Feb. 6 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 4,500,000 4,634,000 -134,000 4,611,000 5,074,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 5,571,085 5,546,551 +24,534 5,597,688 6,231,080 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 4,575,750 4,605,000 -29,250 4,596,500 4,960,500 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.5% 3.6% -0.1 3.5% 3.8% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 4.3% 4.3% 0.0 4.3% 4.7% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Feb. 20 Feb. 13 Change Year Federal Employees 1,196 1,196 0 1,141 Newly Discharged Veterans 1,946 2,190 -244 1,738 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING Feb. 13 Feb. 6 Change Year Federal Employees 23,773 24,095 -322 19,999 Newly Discharged Veterans 35,473 36,429 -956 27,848 Railroad Retirement Board 10,000 10,000 0 9,000 Extended Benefits 178,469 188,554 -10,085 2,766 EUC 20083 5,687,574 5,479,942 +207,632 1,929,723 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 130,128,328 as denominator. 3 - EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.
UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 02/20/2010 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment CA -12,000 A shorter workweek, as well as fewer layoffs in the service industry.
NC -7,981 Fewer layoffs in the construction, stone/clay,glass, lumber/wood, and transportation industries.
FL -2,564 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
MI -2,484 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
OH -2,130 No comment.
AR -1,501 No comment.
OR -1,367 no comment.
PR -1,281 No comment.
WA -1,230 No comment.
TN -1,132 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
SC -1,045 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
TX -1,022 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, finance, and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment IL +1,160 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
DE +1,210 Inclement weather during the prior week caused processing of backlog claims this week.
MD +1,499 Inclement weather during the prior week caused processing of backlog claims this week.
MO +1,920 Layoffs in the construction industry.
CT +2,018 Claims are school closings related.
MA +4,744 Claims are school closings related.
NJ +4,879 Weather-related office closures and a statewide furlough day during the prior week caused processing of backlog claims this week. Layoffs were in construction, service, transportation, warehousing, 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/
