SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending April 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 403,000, a decrease of 13,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 416,000. The 4-week moving average was 399,000, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average of 396,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending April 9, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.9 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 9 was 3,695,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,702,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,716,750, a decrease of 17,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,734,250.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 380,668 in the week ending April 16, a decrease of 67,357 from the previous week. There were 436,814 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.1 percent during the week ending April 9, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,879,433, a decrease of 63,610 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.8 percent and the volume was 4,931,238.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending April 2 was 8,299,810.
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 April 2.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,147 in the week ending April 9, an increase of 505 from the prior week. There were 2,507 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 320 from the preceding week.
There were 34,050 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending April 2, a decrease of 3,762 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 37,701, a decrease of 481 from the prior week.
States reported 3,527,093 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending April 2, a decrease of 23,693 from the prior week. There were 5,344,082 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 April 2 were in Alaska (6.0 percent), Puerto Rico (5.0), Idaho (4.4), Oregon (4.4), Pennsylvania (4.3), Wisconsin (4.3), New Jersey (4.2), Rhode Island (4.2), California (4.1), Connecticut (4.1), and Montana (4.1).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 9 were in California (+25,646), North Carolina (+6,041), Kentucky (+5,202), Texas (+5,108), and Florida (+4,299), while the largest decreases were in Minnesota (-403), Iowa (-389), Maine (-55), and Wyoming (-9).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING Advance April 16 April 9 Change April 2 Prior Year1 Initial Claims (SA) 403,000 416,000 -13,000 385,000 469,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 380,668 448,025 -67,357 353,817 436,814 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 399,000 396,750 +2,250 390,250 467,500 WEEK ENDING Advance April 9 April 2 Change March 26 Prior Year1 Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,695,000 3,702,000 -7,000 3,738,000 4,687,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,879,433 3,943,043 -63,610 4,085,667 4,931,238 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,716,750 3,734,250 -17,500 3,749,500 4,687,750 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.9% 2.9% 0.0 3.0% 3.7% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.1% 3.1% 0.0 3.3% 3.8% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING April 9 April 2 Change Prior Year1 Federal Employees 2,147 1,642 +505 1,390 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,507 2,187 +320 2,439 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING April 2 March 26 Change Prior Year1 Regular State 3,930,215 4,074,425 -144,210 4,966,592 Federal Employees (UCFE) 34,050 37,812 -3,762 20,181 Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 37,701 38,182 -481 36,654 EUC 20083 3,527,093 3,550,786 -23,693 5,344,082 Extended Benefits4 713,881 760,402 -46,521 188,765 State Additional Benefits 5 6,656 8,650 -1,994 9,224 STC / Workshare 6 50,214 47,288 +2,926 80,245 TOTAL 8,299,810 8,517,545 -217,735 10,645,743 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 125,572,661 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 04/09/2011 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment None STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment UT +1,069 Start of a new quarter of wage credits for benefit purposes.
AL +1,480 Layoffs in the construction, service, and transportation equipment industries.
AK +1,710 No comment.
MO +1,852 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
MD +2,493 No comment.
WA +2,810 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
OH +3,009 Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
NY +3,124 Layoffs in the trade and service industries.
IN +3,315 Start of a new quarter of wage credits for benefit purposes, as well as layoffs in the automobile industry.
MI +3,342 No comment.
AZ +3,362 Start of a new quarter of wage credits for benefit purposes.
PA +3,418 Start of a new quarter of wage credits for benefit purposes, as well as layoffs in the construction and service industries.
GA +4,278 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
FL +4,299 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.
TX +5,108 Start of a new quarter of wage credits for benefit purposes, as well as layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
KY +5,202 No comment.
NC +6,041 Layoffs in the construction, trade, transportation, and warehousing industries.
CA +25,646 Return to a five day workweek, as well as layoffs in the service industry.
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/
