SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Jan. 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 335,000, a decrease of 37,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 372,000. The 4-week moving average was 359,250, a decrease of 6,750 from the previous week's revised average of 366,000.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending January 5, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending January 5 was 3,214,000, an increase of 87,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,127,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,195,750, a decrease of 6,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,201,750.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 555,708 in the week ending Jan. 12, an increase of 2,360 from the previous week. There were 525,422 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent during the week ending January 5, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,850,441, an increase of 170,067 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.2 percent and the volume was 4,109,127.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending December 29 was 5,821,966, an increase of 465,547 from the previous week. There were 7,826,846 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2011.
Extended Benefits were not available in any state during the week ending December 29.
Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,756 in the week ending January 5, an increase of 622 from the prior week. There were 2,367 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 776 from the preceding week.
There were 22,075 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 29, an increase of 1,219 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 38,692, an increase of 487 from the prior week.
States reported 2,059,438 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Dec. 29, an increase of 67,984 from the prior week. There were 3,026,855 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 29 were in Alaska (6.9), Pennsylvania (4.3), New Jersey (4.2), Wisconsin (4.2), Montana (4.1), Puerto Rico (4.1), Connecticut (4.0), Idaho (3.9), Rhode Island (3.8), Illinois (3.7), and Massachusetts (3.7).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending January 5 were in New York (+37,189), Georgia (+15,354), North Carolina (+13,606), California (+8,691), and Texas (+8,669), while the largest decreases were in Michigan (-12,536), New Jersey (-5,530), Oregon (-5,471), Ohio (-4,915), and Kentucky (4,257).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING Advance Jan. 12 Jan. 5 Change Dec. 29 Prior Year1 Initial Claims (SA) 335,000 372,000 -37,000 367,000 364,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 555,708 553,348 +2,360 490,099 525,422 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 359,250 366,000 -6,750 359,000 380,250 WEEK ENDING Advance Jan. 5 Dec. 29 Change Dec. 22 Prior Year1 Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,214,000 3,127,000 +87,000 3,236,000 3,497,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,850,441 3,680,374 +170,067 3,284,594 4,109,127 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,195,750 3,201,750 -6,000 3,223,250 3,576,000 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.5% 2.4% +0.1 2.5% 2.8% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.0% 2.9% +0.1 2.6% 3.2% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Jan. 5 Dec. 29 Change Prior Year1 Federal Employees 1,756 1,134 +622 2,651 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,367 1,591 +776 2,608 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Dec. 29 Dec. 22 Change Prior Year1 Regular State 3,675,261 3,279,652 +395,609 4,151,739 Federal Employees (UCFE) 22,075 20,856 +1,219 31,866 Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 38,692 38,205 +487 42,291 EUC 20083 2,059,438 1,991,454 +67,984 3,026,855 Extended Benefits4 1,143 1,045 +98 533,172 State Additional Benefits 5 4,185 5,412 -1,227 3,851 STC / Workshare 6 21,172 19,795 +1,377 37,072 TOTAL 5,821,966 5,356,419 +465,547 7,826,846 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 128,613,913 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 1/5/2012 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment MI -12,536 Fewer layoffs in construction industry.
NJ -5,530 Fewer layoffs in the educational service, construction, and manufacturing industries.
OR -5,471 No comment.
OH -4,915 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
KY -4,257 No comment.
WI -4,226 No comment.
PA -3,408 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, entertainment, lodging, food service, construction, and manufacturing industries.
IA -2,961 Decline in initial claims due to decrease in temporary layoffs caused by holiday.
MA -2,866 Fewer layoffs in the retail, and transporation and warehousing industries.
IL -2,298 No comment.
MD -2,044 No comment.
NM -1,278 No comment.
VT -1,235 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
ID -1,132 No comment.
NE -1,099 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment NY +37,189 Layoffs in the transporation, construction, and educational service industries.
GA +15,354 Layoffs in the manufacturing, administrative and support service, construction, and healthcare industries.
NC +13,606 Layoffs in the textile, business service, construction, electronic, furniture and fixtures, rubber and plastic products, lumber and wood products, transportation equipment, food services, metal, mining, service, healthcare service, engineering, accounting, research, amusement and recreation, general merchandise stores, and apparel and accessory industries.
CA +8,691 Layoffs in the service industry as well as agriculture, forestry, and fishing.
TX +8,669 Layoffs in the transportation and warehousing, and manufacturing industries.
SC +8,020 Layoffs in the textile and manufacturing industries.
AL +7,037 Increase is a result of processing claims from prior week when offices were closed due to the holiday. Majority of increase were in the transportation, textile, manufacturing, and construction industries.
TN +4,397 Layoffs in the administrative and support service, textile, contractors, electrical equipment, and construction industries.
VA +3,289 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
FL +2,501 Layoffs in the construction, agriculture, trade, retail and service industries.
CT +2,125 No comment.
MO +1,739 Layoffs in the construction, administrative service, and retail industries.
ME +1,594 Layoffs in the construction, manufacturing, and accommodation and food service industires.
CO +1,378 No comment.
AZ +1,262 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/
