SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Jan. 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 404,000, a decrease of 37,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 441,000. The 4-week moving average was 411,750, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised average of 415,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.1 percent for the week ending Jan. 8, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.1 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Jan. 8 was 3,861,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,887,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,006,250, a decrease of 52,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,058,500.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 550,594 in the week ending Jan. 15, a decrease of 212,504 from the previous week. There were 652,327 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.7 percent during the week ending Jan. 8, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,609,826, a decrease of 167,288 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.5 percent and the volume was 5,791,080.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending Jan. 1 was 9,607,423.
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 Jan. 1.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 5,438 in the week ending Jan. 8, an increase of 3,513 from the prior week. There were 2,815 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 772 from the preceding week.
There were 48,216 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Jan. 1, a decrease of 1,556 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 41,464, a decrease of 401 from the prior week.
States reported 3,719,607 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Jan. 1, a decrease of 53,485 from the prior week. There were 5,392,352 claimants in the comparable week in 2010. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Jan. 1 were in Alaska (7.2 percent), Puerto Rico (6.1), Idaho (5.6), Oregon (5.6), Wisconsin (5.6), Pennsylvania (5.4), Montana (5.1), Connecticut (5.0), Rhode Island (4.9), Illinois (4.7), and New Jersey (4.7).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Jan. 8 were in New York (+24,363), California (+17,536), North Carolina (+16,873), Texas (+13,828), and Illinois (+11,211), while the largest decreases were in Oregon (-9,579), Iowa (-3,122), Michigan (-3,101), Wisconsin (-2,029), and Kentucky (-1,006).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING Advance Jan. 15 Jan. 8 Change Jan. 1 Prior Year1 Initial Claims (SA) 404,000 441,000 -37,000 411,000 489,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 550,594 763,098 -212,504 578,904 652,327 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 411,750 415,750 -4,000 411,250 467,250 WEEK ENDING Advance Jan. 8 Jan. 1 Change Dec. 25 Prior Year1 Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,861,000 3,887,000 -26,000 4,127,000 4,895,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 4,609,826 4,777,114 -167,288 4,415,512 5,791,080 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 4,006,250 4,058,500 -52,250 4,128,500 4,977,000 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.1% 3.1% 0.0 3.3% 3.8% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.7% 3.8% -0.1 3.5% 4.5% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Jan. 8 Jan. 1 Change Prior Year1 Federal Employees 5,438 1,925 +3,513 2,785 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,815 2,043 +772 2,536 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Jan. 1 Dec. 25 Change Prior Year1 Regular State 4,777,114 4,415,512 +361,602 6,013,891 Federal Employees (UCFE) 48,216 49,772 -1,556 27,809 Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 41,464 41,865 -401 36,837 EUC 20083 3,719,607 3,773,092 -53,485 5,392,352 Extended Benefits4 957,289 874,679 +82,610 263,762 State Additional Benefits 5 6,978 6,549 +429 2,352 STC / Workshare 6 56,755 44,717 +12,038 105,257 TOTAL 9,607,423 9,206,186 +401,237 11,842,260 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 01/08/2011 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment OR -9,579 No comment.
IA -3,122 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MI -3,101 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
WI -2,029 No comment.
KY -1,006 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment MA +1,033 No comment.
NV +1,115 Return to a five day workweek.
OK +1,122 No comment.
MT +1,249 No comment.
ME +1,290 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
WV +1,402 No comment.
MS +1,563 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MN +1,920 Return to a five day workweek.
UT +2,093 Start of a new quarter of wage credits for benefit purposes.
OH +2,523 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
NJ +2,580 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
AK +2,729 No comment.
MD +2,918 No comment.
LA +2,991 No comment.
AZ +3,522 Return to a five day workweek.
CO +3,788 No comment.
VA +3,926 Return to a five day workweek, as well as layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
WA +4,108 Layoffs in the finance, insurance, trade, and service industries.
IN +5,311 Layoffs in the automobile and trade industries.
KS +5,393 Layoffs in the transportation, construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
CT +5,994 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and transportation industries.
MO +6,259 Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, service, and manufacturing industries.
SC +7,009 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
FL +7,836 Start of a new quarter of wage credits for benefit purposes, as well as layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
TN +7,927 Layoffs in the trade, service, apparel, and manufacturing industries.
GA +8,495 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
AL +9,298 Layoffs in the construction and service industries.
PA +9,989 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
IL +11,211 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
TX +13,828 Start of a new quarter of wage credits for benefit purposes, as well as layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
NC +16,873 Layoffs in the construction, service, textile, and furniture industries.
CA +17,536 Start of a new quarter of wage credits for benefit purposes, as well as layoffs in the trade and service industries, and agriculture.
NY +24,363 Layoffs in the trade, service, and transportation 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/
