SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Oct. 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 397,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 406,000. The 4-week moving average was 404,500, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average of 406,500.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending Oct. 22, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending October 22 was 3,683,000, a decrease of 15,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,698,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,703,250, a decrease of 10,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,713,750.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 366,923 in the week ending Oct. 29, a decrease of 10,433 from the previous week. There were 421,097 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent during the week ending Oct. 22, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,178,790, a decrease of 16,241 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.0 percent and the volume was 3,759,365.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending October 15 was 6,781,960, an increase of 103,117 from the previous week.
Extended benefits were available in Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin during the week ending October 15.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,332 in the week ending Oct. 22, a decrease of 515 from the prior week. There were 2,667 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 64 from the preceding week.
There were 29,178 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Oct. 15, an increase of 2,455 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 41,063, an increase of 1,165 from the prior week.
States reported 2,945,642 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Oct. 15, an increase of 23,705 from the prior week. There were 3,978,374 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 October 15 were in Puerto Rico (5.0), Alaska (4.4), Pennsylvania (3.6), Oregon (3.5), California (3.4), New Jersey (3.4), Virgin Islands (3.4), Nevada (3.2), Arkansas (3.1), and Connecticut (3.1).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending October 22 were in California (+7,176), New York (+2,494), Illinois (+2,057), Georgia (+1,642), and Pennsylvania (+1,579) while the largest decreases were in Florida (-2,230), Puerto Rico (-1,393), Washington (-898), Arizona (-735), and Arkansas (-567).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING Advance Oct. 29 Oct. 22 Change Oct. 15 Prior Year1 Initial Claims (SA) 397,000 406,000 -9,000 404,000 454,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 366,923 377,356 -10,433 357,562 421,097 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 404,500 406,500 -2,000 403,750 451,000 WEEK ENDING Advance Oct. 22 Oct. 15 Change Oct. 8 Prior Year1 Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,683,000 3,698,000 -15,000 3,739,000 4,351,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,178,790 3,195,031 -16,241 3,133,644 3,759,365 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,703,250 3,713,750 -10,500 3,727,250 4,382,500 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.9% 2.9% 0.0 3.0% 3.5% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.5% 2.5% 0.0 2.5% 3.0% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Oct. 22 Oct. 15 Change Prior Year1 Federal Employees 2,332 2,847 -515 3,804 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,667 2,731 -64 2,593 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Oct. 15 Oct. 8 Change Prior Year1 Regular State 3,186,845 3,123,868 +62,977 3,753,481 Federal Employees (UCFE) 29,178 26,723 +2,455 45,319 Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 41,063 39,898 +1,165 42,868 EUC 20083 2,945,642 2,921,937 +23,705 3,978,374 Extended Benefits4 540,443 524,856 +15,587 1,034,703 State Additional Benefits 5 4,551 4,611 -60 4,040 STC / Workshare 6 34,238 36,950 -2,712 57,737 TOTAL 6,781,960 6,678,843 +103,117 8,916,522 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 126,188,733 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 10/22/2011 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment FL -2,230 Fewer layoffs in the agriculture, manufacturing, trade, retail, and service industries.
PR -1,393 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment CA +7,176 Layoffs in the service industry.
NY +2,494 Layoffs in the construction, finance and insurance, and transportation industries.
IL +2,057 Layoffs in the construction, service, and trade industries.
GA +1,642 Layoffs in the construction, service, trade, and manufacturing industries.
PA +1,579 Layoffs in the construction, retail, service, and healthcare industries.
TN +1,493 Layoffs in the manufacturing and service industries.
WI +1,291 No comment.
NJ +1,074 Layoffs in the construction, retail, service, manufacturing, and healthcare industries.
MA +1,049 Layoffs in the construction industry.
NC +1,021 Layoffs in the construction, petroleum refining, 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/