SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Dec. 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 420,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 423,000. The 4-week moving average was 426,000, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average of 423,500.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.2 percent for the week ending Dec. 11, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.3 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Dec.11 was 4,064,000, a decrease of 103,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,167,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,155,500, a decrease of 38,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,193,750.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 495,587 in the week ending Dec. 18, an increase of 5,311 from the previous week. There were 565,243 initial claims in the comparable week in 2009.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.3 percent during the week ending Dec. 11, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,173,407, an increase of 110,889 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.1 percent and the volume was 5,345,467.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending Dec. 4 was 8,883,578.
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, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, during the week ending Dec. 4.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 3,281 in the week ending Dec. 11, an increase of 306 from the prior week. There were 2,586 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 293 from the preceding week.
There were 47,578 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 4, a decrease of 3,365 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 42,176, a decrease of 1,768 from the prior week.
States reported 3,785,978 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Dec. 4, a decrease of 68,089 from the prior week. There were 4,456,518 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 Dec. 4 were in Alaska (6.5 percent), Puerto Rico (5.8), Oregon (4.8), Montana (4.6), Pennsylvania (4.6), Idaho (4.4), California (4.3), Nevada (4.3), Wisconsin (4.2), and New Jersey (4.0).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 11 were in Kentucky (+1,680), California (+1,202), Iowa (+1,154), Puerto Rico (+935), and Massachusetts (+839), while the largest decreases were in New York (-12,355), North Carolina (-9,951), Georgia (-8,662), Pennsylvania (-8,315), and Washington (-7,929).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING Advance Dec. 18 Dec. 11 Change Dec. 4 Prior Year1 Initial Claims (SA) 420,000 423,000 -3,000 423,000 469,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 495,587 490,276 +5,311 585,678 565,243 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 426,000 423,500 +2,500 428,000 479,250 WEEK ENDING Advance Dec. 11 Dec. 4 Change Nov. 27 Prior Year1 Ins. Unemployment (SA) 4,064,000 4,167,000 -103,000 4,114,000 5,185,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 4,173,407 4,062,518 +110,889 4,216,367 5,345,467 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 4,155,500 4,193,750 -38,250 4,233,000 5,332,500 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.2% 3.3% -0.1 3.3% 3.9% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.3% 3.2% +0.1 3.4% 4.1% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Dec. 11 Dec. 4 Change Prior Year1 Federal Employees 3,281 2,975 +306 2,177 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,586 2,879 -293 2,195 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Dec. 4 Nov. 27 Change Prior Year1 Regular State 4,046,869 4,202,589 -155,720 5,167,579 Federal Employees (UCFE) 47,578 50,943 -3,365 26,514 Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 42,176 43, 944 -1,768 36,163 EUC 20083 3,785,978 3,854,067 -68,089 4,456,518 Extended Benefits4 893,016 977,339 -84,323 387,666 State Additional Benefits 5 4,931 7,957 -3,026 2,264 STC / Workshare 6 63,030 55,077 +7,953 103,574 TOTAL 8,883,578 9,191,916 -308,338 10,180,278 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 125,845,577 as denominator. 3 - EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity. Tier-specific EUC data can be found here: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/docs/persons.xls4 - Information on the EB program can be found here: http://www.ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/extenben.asp 5 - Some states maintain additional benefit programs for those claimants who exhaust regular, extended and emergency benefits. Information on states that participate and the extent of benefits can be found starting on page 4-5 of this link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf 6 - Information on STC/Worksharing can be found starting on page 4-9 of the following link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 12/11/2010 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment NY -12,355 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and transportation industries.
NC -9,951 Fewer layoffs in the transportation equipment, textile, furniture, primary metals, fabricated metals, lumber/wood, and rubber/plastics industries.
GA -8,662 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
PA -8,315 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, transportation, and wood products industries.
WA -7,929 No comment.
WI -7,255 No comment.
OR -5,751 No comment.
TX -4,127 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
NJ -3,612 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
MN -3,054 No comment.
AL -2,830 Fewer layoffs in the textile, furniture, and wood products industries.
TN -2,435 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
VA -2,318 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
AR -2,298 No comment.
MI -2,226 No comment.
SC -2,115 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
IL -1,550 Fewer layoffs in the construction and service industries.
MO -1,358 Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
ID -1,207 No comment.
OH -1,205 No comment.
NV -1,204 No comment.
MS -1,087 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment IA +1,154 Layoffs in the construction industry.
CA +1,202 Layoffs in the trade and service industries.
KY +1,680 No comment.
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/
