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November 4, 2008    DOL Home > Newsroom > News Releases   

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION

USDL 08-1451-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. (EDT), THURSDAY

Media Contact :

October 16, 2008

(202) 693-4676

 

 

 

 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Oct. 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 461,000, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 477,000. It is estimated that the effects of Hurricane Ike in Texas added approximately 12,000 claims to the total. The 4-week moving average was 483,250, an increase of 750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 482,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent for the week ending Oct. 4, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.7 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Oct. 4 was 3,711,000, an increase of 40,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,671,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,632,000, an increase of 65,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,566,250.  

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 451,776 in the week ending Oct. 11, an increase of 28,052 from the previous week. There were 306,519 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent during the week ending Oct. 4, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,061,651, an increase of 3,666 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.6 percent and the volume was 2,097,457.

Extended benefits were available in Alaska and Rhode Island during the week ending Sept. 27.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,642 in the week ending Oct. 4, an increase of 541 from the prior week. There were 1,850 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 167 from the preceding week.

There were 13,422 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Sept. 27, an increase of 97 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 22,744, an increase of 574 from the prior week.

States reported 1,345,375 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Sept. 27, an increase of 278,298 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Sept. 27 were in Puerto Rico (5.3 percent), California (3.2), Michigan (3.2), Nevada (3.2), Oregon (3.2), New Jersey (3.1), South Carolina (3.0), Pennsylvania (2.9), the Virgin Islands (2.8), Arkansas (2.7), North Carolina (2.7), and Rhode Island (2.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Oct. 4 were in Ohio (+7,217), California (+6,003), Michigan (+5,661), Florida (+4,253), and Alabama (+3,471), while the largest decreases were in Texas (-21,249), Louisiana (-5,461), Mississippi (-1,108), Washington (-809), and Kentucky (-525).


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS


 

Advance

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Oct. 11

Oct. 4

Change

Sept. 27

Year


Initial Claims (SA)

461,000

477,000

-16,000

499,000

338,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

451,776

423,724

+28,052

392,515

306,519

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

483,250

482,500

+,750

474,500

321,750

 

Advance

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Oct. 4

Sept. 27

Change

Sept. 20

Year


Ins. Unemployment (SA)

3,711,000

3,671,000

+40,000

3,603,000

2,549,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

3,061,651

3,057,985

+3,666

3,018,976

2,097,457

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

3,632,000

3,566,250

+65,750

3,531,500

2,551,750


Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

2.8%

2.7%

+0.1

2.7%

1.9%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

2.3%

2.3%

0.0

2.3%

1.6%


INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


 

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Oct. 4

Sept. 27

Change

Year


Federal Employees

1,642

1,101

+541

2,152

Newly Discharged Veterans

1,850

1,683

+167

1,982


PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


 

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Sept. 27

Sept. 20

Change

Year


Federal Employees

13,422

13,325

+97

14,655

Newly Discharged Veterans

22,744

22,170

+574

22,335

Railroad Retirement Board

3,000

3,000

0

2,000

Extended Benefits

1,140

1,208

-68

0

EUC 2008

1,345,375

1,067,077

+278,298

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 133,902,387 as denominator.

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 10/04/2008 


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 


State

Change

 

State Supplied Comment

TX

-21,249

 

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

LA

-5,461

 

Fewer Hurricane Gustav related claims.

MS

-1,108

 

No comment.


STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 


State

Change

 

State Supplied Comment

DE

+1,239

 

No comment.

MA

+1,353

 

Layoffs in the public administration, finance, insurance, trade, and service industries.

VA

+1,474

 

Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.

IL

+1,494

 

Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.

NJ

+1,844

 

Layoffs in the trade, service, transportation, and manufacturing industries.

IN

+1,848

 

Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.

AR

+2,275

 

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

TN

+2,336

 

Layoffs in the service and transportation equipment industries.

NY

+2,410

 

Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.

WI

+2,617

 

Layoffs in the construction, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.

PA

+2,734

 

Layoffs in the food, mining, petroleum, and electrical equipment industries.

GA

+2,853

 

Layoffs in the transportation equipment and textile industries.

AL

+3,471

 

Layoffs in the rubber/plastics industry.

FL

+4,253

 

Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.

MI

+5,661

 

Layoffs in the automobile industry.

CA

+6,003

 

Layoffs in the service industry.

OH

+7,217

 

Layoffs in the automobile industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

 




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