SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending February 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 341,000, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 368,000. The 4-week moving average was 352,500, an increase of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average of 351,000.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent for the week ending Feb. 2, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending February 2 was 3,114,000, a decrease of 130,000 from the preceding week's unrevised level of 3,244,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,187,250, a decrease of 28,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,216,000.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 359,428 in the week ending February 9, a decrease of 29,014 from the previous week. There were 365,014 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent during the week ending Feb. 2, a decrease 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 3,640,033, a decrease of 103,381 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,743,414. A year earlier, the rate was 3.1 percent and the volume was 3,984,889.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending January 26 was 5,918,156, an increase of 327,676 from the previous week. There were 7,681,411 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2012.
Extended Benefits were not available in any state during the week ending January 26.
Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,544 in the week ending Feb. 2, an increase of 174 from the prior week. There were 2,695 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 439 from the preceding week.
There were 23,522 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Jan. 26, an increase of 1,133 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 40,659, an increase of 851 from the prior week.
States reported 2,081,356 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Jan. 26, an increase of 255,258 from the prior week. There were 3,002,475 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2012. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending January 26 were in Alaska (6.6), Pennsylvania (4.4), Montana (4.3), New Jersey (4.3), Puerto Rico (4.2), Wisconsin (4.2), Connecticut (4.0), Idaho (4.0), Rhode Island (4.0), Illinois (3.9), and Oregon (3.9).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending February 02 were in California (+11,784), Texas (+2,071), New York (+2,066), Florida (+2,050), and Oregon (+1,603), while the largest decreases were in North Carolina (-2,681), Tennessee (-2,003), Alabama (-1,248), Michigan (-1,011), and Connecticut (-676).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING Advance Feb. 9 Feb. 2 Change Jan. 26 Prior Year1 Initial Claims (SA) 341,000 368,000 -27,000 371,000 361,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 359,428 388,442 -29,014 369,480 365,014 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 352,500 351,000 +1,500 352,750 371,250 WEEK ENDING Advance Feb. 2 Jan. 26 Change Jan. 19 Prior Year1 Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,114,000 3,244,000 -130,000 3,216,000 3,444,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,640,033 3,743,414 -103,381 3,678,926 3,984,889 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,187,250 3,216,000 -28,750 3,197,250 3,499,500 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.4% 2.5% -0.1 2.5% 2.7% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.8% 2.9% -0.1 2.9% 3.1% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Feb. 2 Jan. 26 Change Prior Year1 Federal Employees 1,544 1,370 +174 1,578 Newly Discharged Veterans 2,695 2,256 +439 2,893 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Jan. 26 Jan. 19 Change Prior Year1 Regular State 3,735,696 3,672,493 +63,203 4,087,142 Federal Employees (UCFE) 23,522 22,389 +1,133 30,310 Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 40,659 39,808 +851 42,850 EUC 20083 2,081,356 1,826,098 +255,258 3,002,475 Extended Benefits4 862 860 +2 475,308 State Additional Benefits 5 5,846 5,378 +468 4,525 STC / Workshare 6 30,215 23,454 +6,761 38,801 TOTAL 5,918,156 5,590,480 +327,676 7,681,411 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 2/2/2013 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment NC -2,681 Fewer layoffs in the construction, freight transportation and warehousing, stone, clay, glass, concrete products, petroleum refining, and agriculture industries.
TN -2,003 No comment.
AL -1,248 Fewer layoffs in the construction, agriculture, forestry and fishing industries.
MI -1,011 Fewer layoffs in all industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment CA +11,784 Layoffs in all sectors, with the largest increase in the service industry.
TX +2,071 No comment.
NY +2,066 Layoffs in the construction, food service, and retail industries FL +2,050 Layoffs in the construction, manufacturing, trade, retail, and service industries.
OR +1,603 No comment.
IL +1,435 Layoffs in the construction, manufacturing, and administrative support service industries.
WI +1,298 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/
