skip navigational linksDOL Seal - Link to DOL Home Page
Photos representing the workforce - Digital Imagery© copyright 2001 PhotoDisc, Inc.
www.dol.gov
October 13, 2008    DOL Home > Newsroom > News Releases   

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION

USDL 07-1939-NAT

 

 

 

 

Program Contact:

TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS

Scott Gibbons (202) 693-3008

RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL

Tony Sznoluch (202) 693-3176

8:30 A.M. (EST), THURSDAY

Media Contact :

December 27, 2007

(202) 693-4676

 

 

 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Dec. 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 349,000, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 348,000. The 4-week moving average was 342,500, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average of 343,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.0 percent for the week ending Dec. 15, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.0 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Dec. 15 was 2,713,000, an increase of 75,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,638,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,644,500, an increase of 13,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,631,000.  

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 445,806 in the week ending Dec. 22, an increase of 52,767 from the previous week. There were 425,357 initial claims in the comparable week in 2006.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent during the week ending Dec. 15, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,813,463, an increase of 112,159 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.0 percent and the volume was 2,565,805.

Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending Dec. 8.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,744 in the week ending Dec. 15, an increase of 140 from the prior week. There were 1,483 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 339 from the preceding week.

There were 17,961 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 8, an increase of 1,572 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 24,531, an increase of 694 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Dec. 8 were in Alaska (4.0 percent), Michigan (3.4), Puerto Rico (3.1), Pennsylvania (3.0), Oregon (2.9), Rhode Island (2.9), Wisconsin (2.9), California (2.8), New Jersey (2.8), Arkansas (2.6), Idaho (2.6), and Massachusetts (2.6).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 15 were in Missouri (+3,920), Arkansas (+2,197), Kansas (+2,001), New York (+1,959), and Colorado (+1,282), while the largest decreases were in California (-5,354), Pennsylvania (-4,206), Georgia (-4,105), Michigan (-3,543), and Ohio
(-3,494).


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS


 

Advance

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 22

Dec. 15

Change

Dec. 8

Year


Initial Claims (SA)

349,000

348,000

+1,000

334,000

322,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

445,806

393,039

+52,767

423,130

425,357

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

342,500

343,500

-1,000

338,750

319,000

 

Advance

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 15

Dec. 8

Change

Dec. 1

Year


Ins. Unemployment (SA)

2,713,000

2,638,000

+75,000

2,634,000

2,498,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

2,813,463

2,701,304

+112,159

2,623,051

2,565,805

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

2,644,500

2,631,000

+13,500

2,610,000

2,484,750


Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

2.0%

2.0%

0.0

2.0%

1.9%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

2.1%

2.0%

+0.1

2.0%

2.0%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


 

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 15

Dec. 8

Change

Year


Federal Employees

1,744

1,604

+140

1,932

Newly Discharged Veterans

1,483

1,822

-339

1,985


PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


 

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 8

Dec. 1

Change

Year


Federal Employees

17,961

16,389

+1,572

20,076

Newly Discharged Veterans

24,531

23,837

+694

26,195

Railroad Retirement Board

3,000

3,000

0

2,000

Extended Benefits

0

0

0

2


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 132,623,886 as denominator.

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 12/15/2007 


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 


State

Change

 

State Supplied Comment

CA

-5,354

 

Fewer layoffs in agriculture, forestry, and fishing.

PA

-4,206

 

Fewer layoffs in the textile, leather goods, furniture, and transportation equipment industries.

GA

-4,105

 

Fewer layoffs in the textile and manufacturing industries.

MI

-3,543

 

No comment.

OH

-3,494

 

No comment.

FL

-2,587

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.

MN

-2,273

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.

TN

-2,215

 

Fewer layoffs in the industrial machinery, chemical, and printing/publishing industries.

OR

-2,166

 

No comment.

NC

-1,518

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction, transportation equipment, furniture, and tobacco industries.

IA

-1,391

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction industry.

SC

-1,302

 

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

WI

-1,257

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.

WA

-1,153

 

No comment.

IL

-1,137

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction and service industries.

NJ

-1,095

 

Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.


STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 


State

Change

 

State Supplied Comment

CO

+1,282

 

Layoffs in the construction industry.

NY

+1,959

 

Layoffs in the construction industry.

KS

+2,001

 

Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.

AR

+2,197

 

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

MO

+3,920

 

Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current






Phone Numbers