SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 460,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 474,000. The 4-week moving average was 456,500, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average of 454,250.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending May 15, 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 15 was 4,607,000, a decrease of 49,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,656,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,637,250, a decrease of 11,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,648,750.
The fiscal year-to-date average of seasonally adjusted weekly insured unemployment, which corresponds to the appropriated AWIU trigger, was 5.134 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 404,325 in the week ending May 22, a decrease of 5,765 from the previous week. There were 538,311 initial claims in the comparable week in 2009.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.4 percent during the week ending May 15, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,381,421, a decrease of 88,300 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.6 percent and the volume was 6,153,284.
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, 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 8.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,481 in the week ending May 15, an increase of 163 from the prior week. There were 2,369 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 120 from the preceding week.
There were 17,937 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending May 8, an increase of 577 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 36,370, an increase of 1,365 from the prior week.
States reported 5,059,843 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending May 8, a decrease of 41,403 from the prior week. There were 2,185,863 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 8 were in Puerto Rico (6.2 percent), Alaska (5.9), Oregon (5.4), Nevada (4.9), California (4.8), Pennsylvania (4.7), Wisconsin (4.5), North Carolina (4.4), Montana (4.3), and Connecticut (4.2).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 15 were in Tennessee (+3,041), Missouri (+2,369), Mississippi (+1,697), Illinois (+1,154), and Arkansas (+851), while the largest decreases were in California (-2,161), Michigan (-2,133), Washington (-1,968), Florida (-1,480), and Oregon (-1,200).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 22 May 15 Change May 8 Year Initial Claims (SA) 460,000 474,000 -14,000 446,000 611,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 404,325 410,090 -5,765 409,759 538,311 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 456,500 454,250 +2,250 450,500 616,250 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 15 May 8 Change May 1 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 4,607,000 4,656,000 -49,000 4,659,000 6,498,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 4,381,421 4,469,721 -88,300 4,547,308 6,153,284 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 4,637,250 4,648,750 -11,500 4,650,500 6,390,250 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.6% 3.6% 0.0 3.6% 4.9% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.4% 3.5% -0.1 3.5% 4.6% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 15 May 8 Change Year Federal Employees 1,481 1,318 +163 1,417 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,369 2,489 -120 1,777 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 8 May 1 Change Year Federal Employees 17,937 17,360 +577 15,806 Newly Discharged Veterans 36,370 35,005 +1,365 28,246 Railroad Retirement Board 5,000 5,000 0 9,000 Extended Benefits 278,953 240,260 +38,693 398,667 EUC 20083 5,059,843 5,101,246 -41,403 2,185,863 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 05/15/2010 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment CA -2,161 No comment.
MI -2,133 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
WA -1,968 No comment.
FL -1,480 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
OR -1,200 No comment.
NY -1,018 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment IL +1,154 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
MS +1,697 Layoffs in the service industry.
MO +2,369 Layoffs in the construction and service industries.
TN +3,041 Layoffs in the trade, service, apparel, and fabricated metals 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/
