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November 4, 2008    DOL Home > Newsroom > News Releases   

News Release

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 02-500
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Thomas Stengle (202) 693-2991 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Media Contact : 8:30 A.M. (EDT), THURSDAY
(202) 693-3900 August 29, 2002
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Aug. 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 403,000, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 395,000. The 4-week moving average was 392,750, an increase of  3,000 from the previous week's revised average of 389,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent for the week ending Aug. 17, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 2.7 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Aug. 17 was 3,588,000, an increase of 90,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,498,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,526,250, an increase of 28,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,498,250.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 309,447 in the week ending Aug. 24, a decrease of  4,272 from the previous week. There were 307,850 initial claims in the comparable week in 2001.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent during the week ending Aug. 17, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,282,693, an increase of  5,290 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.2 percent and the volume was 2,855,016.

Extended benefits were available in Oregon and Washington during the week ending Aug. 10.

53 states reported that 1,026,032 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Aug. 10.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,246 in the week ending Aug. 17, a decrease of 7 from the prior week. There were 1,429 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 10 from the preceding week.

There were 18,330 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Aug. 10, an increase of 1,034 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 15,079, an increase of 382 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Aug. 10 were in Puerto Rico (6.2 percent), Oregon (3.7), Washington (3.7), Alaska (3.6), New Jersey (3.6), Pennsylvania (3.6), California (3.3), Connecticut (3.3), Massachusetts (3.2), and Rhode Island (3.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Aug. 17 were in Michigan (+1,513), Mississippi (+929), Virginia (+486), South Carolina (+197), and Nevada (+168), while the largest decreases were in Iowa (-2,391), Illinois (-1,739), Pennsylvania (-1,687), California (-1,481), and North Carolina (-1,332).


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Aug. 24  Aug. 17 Change Aug. 10  Year

Initial Claims (SA) 403,000 395,000 +8,000 391,000 404,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 309,447 313,719 -4,272 332,673 307,850
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 392,750 389,750 +3,000 382,500 399,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Aug. 17 Aug. 10  Change Aug. 3 Year

Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,588,000 3,498,000 +90,000 3,521,000 3,134,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,282,693 3,277,403 +5,290 3,309,450 2,855,016
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,526,250 3,498,250 +28,000 3,496,750 3,101,750

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.8% 2.7% +0.1 2.8% 2.4%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.6% 2.6% 0.0 2.6% 2.2%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING

Aug. 17 

Aug. 10 

Change
Year

Federal Employees 1,246 1,253 -7 1,093
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,429 1,419 +10 1,349

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1
WEEK ENDING

Aug. 10  

Aug. 3 

Change
Year

Federal Employees 18,330 17,296 +1,034 17,359
Newly Discharged Veterans 15,079 14,697 +382 14,102
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 1,754 1,544 +210 1
Federal (TEUC) 1,026,032 1,095,393 -69,361 0

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 127,943,752 as denominator.

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 08/17/2002


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000


State Change State Supplied Comment
IA -2,391 No comment.
IL -1,739 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
PA -1,687 Fewer layoffs in the food, rubber/plastics, primary metals, trade, and service industries.
CA -1,481 Fewer layoffs in agriculture.
NC -1,332 Fewer layoffs in the textile industry.
OH -1,292 No comment.
KY -1,164 Fewer layoffs in the mining industry.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000


MI +1,513 Layoffs in the automobile industry.


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