SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Jan. 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 445,000, an increase of 35,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 410,000. The 4-week moving average was 416,500, an increase of 5,500 from the previous week's revised average of 411,000.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.1 percent for the week ending Jan. 1, a decrease of 0.2 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 Jan. 1 was 3,879,000, a decrease of 248,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,127,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,056,500, a decrease of 72,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,128,500.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 770,413 in the week ending Jan. 8, an increase of 191,686 from the previous week. There were 815,593 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.8 percent during the week ending Jan. 1, an increase of 0.3 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,766,951, an increase of 351,439 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.6 percent and the volume was 6,013,891.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending Dec. 25 was 9,193,838.
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, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, during the week ending Dec. 25.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,922 in the week ending Jan. 1, a decrease of 308 from the prior week. There were 2,042 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 208 from the preceding week.
There were 49,772 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 25, an increase of 2,659 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 41,865, an increase of 1,297 from the prior week.
States reported 3,773,092 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Dec. 25, an increase of 195,429 from the prior week. There were 4,980,124 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. 25 were in Alaska (7.5 percent), Oregon (5.2), Idaho (5.1), Montana (4.9), Wisconsin (4.8), Pennsylvania (4.7), Puerto Rico (4.6), Nevada (4.5), Illinois (4.4), and Michigan (4.3).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Jan. 1 were in Georgia (+11,997), Michigan (+10,129), Pennsylvania (+9,004), New York (+8,379), and Wisconsin (+7,236), while the largest decreases were in California (-13,694), Florida (-1,867), Nevada (-972), Kansas (-841), and New Mexico (-721).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING Advance Jan. 8 Jan. 1 Change Dec. 25 Prior Year1 Initial Claims (SA) 445,000 410,000 +35,000 391,000 470,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 770,413 578,727 +191,686 525,710 815,593 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 416,500 411,000 +5,500 414,250 462,250 WEEK ENDING Advance Jan. 1 Dec. 25 Change Dec. 18 Prior Year1 Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,879,000 4,127,000 -248,000 4,150,000 4,862,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 4,766,951 4,415,512 +351,439 4,116,684 6,013,891 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 4,056,500 4,128,500 -72,000 4,125,250 5,049,500 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.1% 3.3% -0.2 3.3% 3.7% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.8% 3.5% +0.3 3.3% 4.6% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Jan. 1 Dec. 25 Change Prior Year1 Federal Employees 1,922 2,230 -308 1,471 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,042 1,834 +208 1,462 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Dec. 25 Dec. 18 Change Prior Year1 Regular State 4,415,512 4,116,684 +298,828 5,465,872 Federal Employees (UCFE) 49,772 47,113 +2,659 25,963 Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 41,865 40,568 +1,297 36,078 EUC 20083 3,773,092 3,577,663 +195,429 4,980,124 Extended Benefits4 862,331 929,393 -67,062 303,871 State Additional Benefits 5 6,549 6,976 -427 2,630 STC / Workshare 6 44,717 52,918 -8,201 77,010 TOTAL 9,193,838 8,771,315 +422,523 10,891,548 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 01/01/2011 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment CA -13,694 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
FL -1,867 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment AR +1,006 Layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.
TX +1,377 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
SC +1,413 Layoffs in the industrial machinery industry.
AL +1,568 Layoffs in the transportation equipment, furniture, and service industries.
OH +2,321 Increase due to holiday shutdowns.
CT +2,488 Layoffs in the construction, trade, transportation, and manufacturing industries.
OR +2,773 No comment.
VA +2,941 State offices closed 1 day for New Year's vs. 2 for Christmas, as well as layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NJ +3,067 Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
WI +7,236 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NY +8,379 Layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
PA +9,004 Layoffs in the construction, trade, transportation, and transportation equipment industries.
MI +10,129 All industries showed sizable increases.
GA +11,997 Layoffs in the construction, trade, 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/
