SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 453,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 463,000. The 4-week moving average was 459,000, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average of 457,250.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending May 22, 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 22 was 4,666,000, an increase of 31,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,635,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,654,000, an increase of 9,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,644,250.
The fiscal year-to-date average of seasonally adjusted weekly insured unemployment, which corresponds to the appropriated AWIU trigger, was 5.124 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 410,302 in the week ending May 29, an increase of 3,427 from the previous week. There were 500,380 initial claims in the comparable week in 2009.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.4 percent during the week ending May 22, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,330,107, a decrease of 77,692 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.5 percent and the volume was 6,033,293.
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 15.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,584 in the week ending May 22, an increase of 103 from the prior week. There were 2,604 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 232 from the preceding week.
There were 17,057 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending May 15, a decrease of 878 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 36,960, an increase of 589 from the prior week.
States reported 5,081,015 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending May 15, an increase of 21,172 from the prior week. There were 2,347,218 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 15 were in Puerto Rico (5.9 percent), Alaska (5.8), Oregon (5.2), Nevada (4.8), California (4.6), Pennsylvania (4.5), Wisconsin (4.4), North Carolina (4.3), Connecticut (4.1), Michigan (4.0), Montana (4.0), New Jersey (4.0), Rhode Island (4.0), and South Carolina (4.0).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 22 were in New York (+1,556), Missouri (+1,189), Oklahoma (+682), Oregon (+647), and Iowa (+525), while the largest decreases were in Michigan (-2,269), Tennessee (-1,808), Pennsylvania (-1,597), Georgia (-1,544), and California (-1,206).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 29 May 22 Change May 15 Year Initial Claims (SA) 453,000 463,000 -10,000 474,000 616,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 410,302 406,875 +3,427 410,264 500,380 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 459,000 457,250 +1,750 454,250 619,250 Advance Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 22 May 15 Change May 8 Year Ins. Unemployment (SA) 4,666,000 4,635,000 +31,000 4,656,000 6,515,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 4,330,107 4,407,799 -77,692 4,469,365 6,033,293 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 4,654,000 4,644,250 +9,750 4,648,750 6,462,750 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.6% 3.6% 0.0 3.6% 4.9% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.4% 3.4% 0.0 3.5% 4.5% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 22 May 15 Change Year Federal Employees 1,584 1,481 +103 1,640 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,604 2,372 +232 1,750 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) Prior1 WEEK ENDING May 15 May 8 Change Year Federal Employees 17,057 17,935 -878 15,276 Newly Discharged Veterans 36,960 36,371 +589 28,454 Railroad Retirement Board 5,000 5,000 0 12,000 Extended Benefits 314,311 278,953 +35,358 315,985 EUC 20083 5,081,015 5,059,843 +21,172 2,347,218 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 05/22/2010 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment MI -2,269 No comment.
TN -1,808 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and electrical equipment industries.
PA -1,597 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and transportation industries.
GA -1,544 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
CA -1,206 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment MO +1,189 Layoffs in the construction industry.
NY +1,556 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service 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/
