SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Dec. 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 350,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 362,000. The 4-week moving average was 356,750, a decrease of 11,250 from the previous week's revised average of 368,000.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending Dec. 15, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending December 15 was 3,206,000, a decrease of 32,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,238,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,219,000, a decrease of 24,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,243,750.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 440,887 in the week ending Dec. 22, an increase of 39,458 from the previous week. There were 497,689 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent during the week ending Dec. 15, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,254,214, an increase of 9,650 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.9 percent and the volume was 3,613,414.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending December 8 was 5,475,708, an increase of 73,279 from the previous week. There were 7,231,771 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2011.
Extended Benefits were only available in New York during the week ending December 8.
Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,680 in the week ending Dec. 15, a decrease of 374 from the prior week. There were 2,574 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 257 from the preceding week.
There were 21,095 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending December 8, a decrease of 245 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 40,561, an increase of 1,081 from the prior week.
States reported 2,100,243 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending December 8, an increase of 3,698 from the prior week. There were 2,926,135 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2011. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending December 8 were in Alaska (6.2), New Jersey (3.9), Pennsylvania (3.8), Puerto Rico (3.7), California (3.5), Montana (3.5), Oregon (3.5), Connecticut (3.3), Nevada (3.3), Illinois (3.2), and Wisconsin (3.2).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending December 15 were in Florida (+5,080), Kentucky (+1,009), Mississippi (+651), Iowa (+646), and Indiana (+549), while the largest decreases were in California (-6,867), New Jersey (-5,101), Pennsylvania (-3,412), New York (-2,938) and Michigan (-2,889).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING Advance Dec. 22 Dec. 15 Change Dec. 8 Prior Year1 Initial Claims (SA) 350,000 362,000 -12,000 344,000 384,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 440,887 401,429 +39,458 429,188 497,689 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 356,750 368,000 -11,250 381,500 377,000 WEEK ENDING Advance Dec. 15 Dec. 8 Change Dec. 1 Prior Year1 Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,206,000 3,238,000 -32,000 3,213,000 3,595,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,254,214 3,244,564 +9,650 3,174,709 3,613,414 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,219,000 3,243,750 -24,750 3,274,000 3,594,500 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.5% 2.5% 0.0 2.5% 2.8% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.5% 2.5% 0.0 2.5% 2.9% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Dec. 15 Dec. 8 Change Prior Year1 Federal Employees 1,680 2,054 -374 1,877 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,574 2,831 -257 3,897 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Dec. 8 Dec. 1 Change Prior Year1 Regular State 3,238,182 3,167,295 +70,887 3,612,199 Federal Employees (UCFE) 21,095 21,340 -245 30,508 Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 40,561 39,480 +1,081 43,254 EUC 20083 2,100,243 2,096,545 +3,698 2,926,135 Extended Benefits4 44,610 43,844 +766 571,848 State Additional Benefits 5 6,050 6,266 -216 4,739 STC / Workshare 6 24,967 27,659 -2,692 43,088 TOTAL 5,475,708 5,402,429 +73,279 7,231,771 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 128,066,082 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 paid, 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 12/15/2012 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment CA -6,867 Fewer layoffs in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries.
NJ -5,101 Fewer layoffs in the transportation and warehousing, manufacturing, trade, accommodation and food service, and healthcaare and social assistance industries.
PA -3,412 Fewer layoffs in the construction, transportation, professional, and scientific and technoloigy industries.
NY -2,938 Fewer layoffs in the food service, healthcare and social assistance and retail industries.
MI -2,889 Fewer layoffs across all industries.
IL -2,092 No comment.
NC -1,937 Fewer layoffs in machinery manufacturing, electrical equipment, and accommodation and food service industries.
TX -1,536 No comment OH -1,520 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
OR -1416 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment FL +5,080 Layoff in the service, agriculture, construction, trade, retail, and manufacturing industries.
KY +1,009 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/
