SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending January 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 330,000, a decrease of 15,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 345,000. The 4-week moving average was 349,000, a decrease of 9,750 from the previous week's revised average of 358,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending Dec. 28, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending December 28 was 2,865,000, an increase of 50,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,815,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,872,250, an increase of 18,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,853,500.
UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 486,033 in the week ending January 4, an increase of 34,384 from the previous week. There were 557,724 initial claims in the comparable week in 2013.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent during the week ending Dec. 28, an increase of 0.3 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,295,112, an increase of 451,828 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.9 percent and the volume was 3,730,220.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending December 21 was 4,193,749, a decrease of 265,067 from the previous week. There were 5,356,419 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2012.
No state was triggered "on" the Extended Benefits program during the week ending December 21.
Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,199 in the week ending Dec. 28, a decrease of 669 from the prior week. There were 1,208 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 789 from the preceding week.
There were 20,705 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 21, a decrease of 2,003 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,567, a decrease of 3,430 from the prior week.
States reported 1,287,037 persons claiming Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits for the week ending Dec. 21, a decrease of 104,260 from the prior week. There were 1,991,454 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 December 21 were in Alaska (5.3), Pennsylvania (3.4), New Jersey (3.3), Connecticut (3.2), Illinois (3.1), Montana (3.0), Puerto Rico (2.9), Wisconsin (2.9), California (2.8), Nevada (2.8), Oregon (2.8), and Rhode Island (2.8).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending December 28 were in Michigan (+16,056), Pennsylvania (+10,601), New Jersey (+7,345), Ohio (+7,036), and Iowa (+5,369), while the largest decreases were in California (-14,635), Texas (-6,723), Florida (-3,738), North Carolina (-2,694), and South Carolina (-2,184).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING Advance Jan. 4 Dec. 28 Change Dec. 21 Prior Year1 Initial Claims (SA) 330,000 345,000 -15,000 341,000 373,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 486,033 451,649 +34,384 417,706 557,724 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 349,000 358,750 -9,750 348,750 369,250 WEEK ENDING Advance Dec. 28 Dec. 21 Change Dec. 14 Prior Year1 Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,865,000 2,815,000 +50,000 2,932,000 3,183,000 Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,295,112 2,843,284 +451,828 2,993,339 3,730,220 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,872,250 2,853,500 +18,750 2,839,000 3,207,000 Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.2% 2.2% 0.0 2.2% 2.5% Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.5% 2.2% +0.3 2.3% 2.9% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Dec. 28 Dec. 21 Change Prior Year1 Federal Employees 1,199 1,868 -669 1,134 Newly Discharged Veterans 1,208 1,997 -789 1,591 PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING Dec. 21 Dec. 14 Change Prior Year1 Regular State 2,839,631 2,986,707 -147,076 3,279,652 Federal Employees (UCFE) 20,705 22,708 -2,003 20,856 Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 28,567 31,997 -3,430 38,205 EUC 20083 1,287,037 1,391,297 -104,260 1,991,454 Extended Benefits4 292 177 +115 1,045 State Additional Benefits 5 3,662 4,406 -744 5,412 STC / Workshare 6 13,855 21,524 -7,669 19,795 TOTAL 4,193,749 4,458,816 -265,067 5,356,419 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 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 DECEMBER 28, 2013 STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment CA -14,635 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
TX -6,723 No comment.
FL -3,738 Fewer layoffs in the agriculture, construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, and service industries.
NC -2,694 Fewer layoffs in the nonclassifiable establishments, and food service industries.
SC -2,184 No comment.
GA -2,029 Fewer layoffs in the trade, transportation and warehousing, accommodation and food service, health care and social assistance, and construction industries.
VA -1,392 No comment.
NY -1,210 Fewer layoffs in the construction, health care and social assistance, and professional, scientifc, and technical services industries.
AZ -1,180 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 State Change State Supplied Comment MI +16,056 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
PA +10,601 Layoffs in the transportation, manufacturing, construction, and administrative and support service industries.
NJ +7,345 Layoffs in the educational services, public administration, manufacturing, and real estate industries.
OH +7,036 Layoffs in the manufacturing, retail, transportation, health care service, and food service industries.
IA +5,369 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
KY +4,663 No comment.
WI +3,644 No comment.
WA +3,479 Layoffs in the agriculture, forest, fishing, hunting, construction, manufacturing, and transportation and warehousing industries.
MA +2,892 No comment.
KS +2,375 No comment.
MD +1,975 No comment.
AR +1,778 No comment.
CT +1,339 No comment.
NH +1,206 Layoffs in the transportation, manufacturing, and educational services industries.
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.oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims_arch.asp
