SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 444,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 451,000. The 4-week moving average was 458,500, a decrease of 4,750 from the previous week's revised average of 463,250.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending April 24, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 24 was 4,594,000, a decrease of 59,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,653,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,649,000, an increase of 8,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,641,000.
The fiscal year-to-date average of seasonally adjusted weekly insured unemployment, which corresponds to the appropriated AWIU trigger, was 5.183 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 392,629 in the week ending May 1, a decrease of 33,783 from the previous week. There were 536,648 initial claims in the comparable week in 2009.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent during the week ending April 24, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,635,631, a decrease of 152,657 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.7 percent and the volume was 6,280,863.
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, Missouri, 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 April 17.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,214 in the week ending April 24, a decrease of 5 from the prior week. There were 2,386 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 57 from the preceding week.
There were 19,211 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending April 17, a decrease of 990 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 37,199, an increase of 134 from the prior week.
States reported 5,354,259 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending April 17, an increase of 153,786 from the prior week. There were 2,279,478 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 April 17 were in Alaska (6.6 percent), Puerto Rico (6.0), Oregon (5.8), Nevada (5.1), Wisconsin (5.1), California (5.0), Michigan (4.9), Montana (4.9), Pennsylvania (4.9), Idaho (4.7), and North Carolina (4.7).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 24 were in California (+6,418), Massachusetts (+4,526), Oregon (+3,117), Kentucky (+1,800), and Louisiana (+993), while the largest decreases were in Florida (-2,766), North Carolina (-2,650), New York (-2,601), Wisconsin (-2,522), and Georgia (-2,197).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 1 April 24 Change April 17 Year Initial Claims (SA) 444,000 451,000 -7,000 459,000 604,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 392,629 426,412 -33,783 434,438 536,648 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 458,500 463,250 -4,750 461,000 617,250 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING April 24 April 17 Change April 10 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 4,594,000 4,653,000 -59,000 4,663,000 6,225,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 4,635,631 4,788,288 -152,657 4,924,111 6,280,863 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 4,649,000 4,641,000 +8,000 4,648,000 6,118,750 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.6% 3.6% 0.0 3.6% 4.7% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.6% 3.7% -0.1 3.8% 4.7% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING April 24 April 17 Change Year Federal Employees 1,214 1,219 -5 1,114 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,386 2,443 -57 1,681 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING April 17 April 10 Change Year Federal Employees 19,211 20,201 -990 16,606 Newly Discharged Veterans 37,199 37,065 +134 29,242 Railroad Retirement Board 7,000 7,000 0 10,000 Extended Benefits 201,487 202,484 -997 85,068 EUC 20083 5,354,259 5,200,473 +153,786 2,279,478 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 128,298,468 as denominator. 3 - EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.
UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 04/24/2010 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment FL -2,766 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
NC -2,650 Fewer layoffs in the industrial machinery, computer equipment, fabricated metals, electrical equipment, electronic equipment, leather, leather goods, and finance industries.
NY -2,601 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and transportation industries.
WI -2,522 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
GA -2,197 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
SC -1,807 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
PR -1,761 No comment.
IN -1,652 No comment.
PA -1,347 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and transportation industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment KY +1,800 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
OR +3,117 No comment.
MA +4,526 Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, and service industries.
CA +6,418 Layoffs in the service 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/