SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 471,000, an increase of 25,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 446,000. The 4-week moving average was 453,500, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 450,500.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending May 8, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 8 was 4,625,000, a decrease of 40,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,665,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,642,500, a decrease of 9,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,652,000.
The fiscal year-to-date average of seasonally adjusted weekly insured unemployment, which corresponds to the appropriated AWIU trigger, was 5.146 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 407,940 in the week ending May 15, a decrease of 1,819 from the previous week. There were 540,925 initial claims in the comparable week in 2009.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent during the week ending May 8, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,439,549, a decrease of 113,074 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.6 percent and the volume was 6,203,661.
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 May 1.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,318 in the week ending May 8, an increase of 18 from the prior week. There were 2,489 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 176 from the preceding week.
There were 17,472 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending May 1, a decrease of 1,722 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 35,054, a decrease of 1,737 from the prior week.
States reported 5,101,246 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending May 1, a decrease of 94,788 from the prior week. There were 2,268,367 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 May 1 were in Alaska (6.4 percent), Puerto Rico (6.0), Oregon (5.6), Nevada (5.0), California (4.9), Pennsylvania (4.6), Wisconsin (4.6), Montana (4.5), Idaho (4.4), North Carolina (4.4), and Washington (4.4).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 8 were in California (+8,351), Michigan (+3,175), New Jersey (+2,362), Georgia (+2,333), and Puerto Rico (+1,362), while the largest decreases were in New York (-3,144), Kentucky (-2,193), Connecticut (-1,512), Missouri (-1,031), and New Hampshire (-607).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 15 May 8 Change May 1 Year Initial Claims (SA) 471,000 446,000 +25,000 446,000 625,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 407,940 409,759 -1,819 394,640 540,925 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 453,500 450,500 +3,000 459,000 619,250 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 8 May 1 Change April 24 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 4,625,000 4,665,000 -40,000 4,627,000 6,449,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 4,439,549 4,552,623 -113,074 4,668,932 6,203,661 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 4,642,500 4,652,000 -9,500 4,657,250 6,318,000 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.6% 3.6% 0.0 3.6% 4.8% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.5% 3.5% 0.0 3.6% 4.6% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 8 May 1 Change Year Federal Employees 1,318 1,300 +18 1,174 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,489 2,313 +176 1,751 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 1 April 24 Change Year Federal Employees 17,472 19,194 -1,722 15,866 Newly Discharged Veterans 35,054 36,791 -1,737 28,521 Railroad Retirement Board 6,000 6,000 0 10,000 Extended Benefits 240,260 218,841 +21,419 173,527 EUC 20083 5,101,246 5,196,034 -94,788 2,268,367 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 05/08/2010 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment NY -3,144 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, service, and manufacturing industries.
KY -2,193 No comment.
CT -1,512 No comment.
MO -1,031 Fewer layoffs in the construction and trade industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment WA +1,007 Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
FL +1,123 Layoffs in the trade and manufacturing industries.
PR +1,362 No comment.
GA +2,333 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
NJ +2,362 Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
MI +3,175 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
CA +8,351 Layoffs in the service 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/
