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November 4, 2008    DOL Home > Newsroom > News Releases   

News Release

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 02-521
   
   
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 September  12, 2002
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Sept. 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 426,000, an increase of 19,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 407,000. The 4-week moving average was 409,500, an increase of  8,750 from the previous week's revised average of 400,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent for the week ending Aug. 31, unchanged  from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.8 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Aug. 31 was 3,569,000, an increase of 38,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,531,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,540,250, an increase of 12,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,528,250.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 313,474 in the week ending Sept. 7, an increase of  2,804 from the previous week. There were 309,567 initial claims in the comparable week in 2001.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending Aug. 31, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point  from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,073,325, a decrease of  125,353 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.1 percent and the volume was 2,740,783.  

Extended benefits were available in Oregon and Washington during the week ending Aug. 24.

53 states reported that 1,072,096 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Aug. 24.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,371 in the week ending Aug. 31, a decrease of 20 from the prior week. There were 1,422 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 4 from the preceding week.

There were 17,835 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Aug. 24, a decrease of 4,661 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 15,587, an increase of 164 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Aug. 24 were in Puerto Rico (5.3 percent), Oregon (3.6), Washington (3.6), Alaska (3.5), New Jersey (3.5), Pennsylvania (3.5), California (3.4), Connecticut (3.2), Massachusetts (3.2), and Rhode Island (3.0).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Aug. 31 were in Arkansas (+1,059), North Carolina (+1,054), South Carolina (+1,010), Tennessee (+689), and Pennsylvania (+662), while the largest decreases were in New York (-2,402), California (-1,704), Indiana (-984), Ohio (-903), and Alabama (-767).


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Sept. 7  Aug. 31 Change Aug. 24  Year

Initial Claims (SA)

426,000

407,000

+19,000

410,000

420,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

313,474

310,670

+2,804

314,852

309,567

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

409,500

400,750

+8,750

394,500

409,500

Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Aug. 31 Aug. 24  Change Aug. 17 Year

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

3,569,000

3,531,000

+38,000

3,564,000

3,209,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

3,073,325

3,198,678

-125,353

3,261,471

2,740,783

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

3,540,250

3,528,250

+12,000

3,520,000

3,158,500


Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

2.8%

2.8%

0.0

2.8%

2.5%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

2.4%

2.5%

-0.1

2.5%

2.1%


INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING

Aug. 31 

Aug. 24 

Change
Year

Federal Employees

1,371

1,391

-20

1,168

Newly Discharged Veterans

1,422

1,418

+4

1,346


PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1
WEEK ENDING

Aug. 24  

Aug. 17 

Change
Year

Federal Employees

17,835

22,496

-4,661

16,116

Newly Discharged Veterans

15,587

15,423

+164

14,149

Railroad Retirement Board

3,000

3,000

0

3,000

Extended Benefits

2,431

2,095

+336

0

Federal (TEUC)

1,072,096

1,099,868

-27,772

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 08/31/2002


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000


State Change State Supplied Comment
NY

-2,402

No comment.
CA

-1,704

No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000


SC

+1,010

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NC

+1,054

Layoffs in the textile industry.
AR

+1,059

No comment.


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