skip navigational links United States Department of Labor
May 7, 2009   
DOL Home > Newsroom > News Releases
DOL Home

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION

USDL 09-179-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 :

February 26, 2009

(202) 693-4676

 

 

 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Feb. 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 667,000, an increase of 36,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 631,000. The 4-week moving average was 639,000, an increase of 19,000 from the previous week's revised average of 620,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.8 percent for the week ending Feb. 14, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.7 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Feb. 14 was 5,112,000, an increase of 114,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,998,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,932,250, an increase of 89,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,843,000.  

The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 4.466 million.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 602,730 in the week ending Feb. 21, a decrease of 17,221 from the previous week. There were 329,925 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.6 percent during the week ending Feb. 14, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 6,098,530, an increase of 126,384 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.5 percent and the volume was 3,298,510.

Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island during the week ending Feb. 7.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,244 in the week ending Feb. 14, a decrease of 252 from the prior week. There were 1,941 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 75 from the preceding week.

There were 19,559 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Feb. 7, a decrease of 1,675 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,129, an increase of 97 from the prior week.

States reported 1,393,834 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Feb. 7, a decrease of 157,312 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Feb. 7 were in Michigan (7.5 percent), Oregon (7.3), Idaho (7.0), Wisconsin (6.4), Pennsylvania (6.2), Nevada (5.9), Montana (5.7), Rhode Island (5.7), Alaska (5.6), Indiana (5.5), and New Jersey (5.5).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Feb. 14 were in New Jersey (+2,093), Virginia (+912), Rhode Island (+493), Vermont (+106), and South Dakota (+22), while the largest decreases were in California (-16,550), Kentucky (-7,741), Pennsylvania (-6,547), Illinois (-6,248), and New York (-3,955).


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS


 

Advance

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Feb. 21

Feb. 14

Change

Feb. 7

Year


Initial Claims (SA)

667,000

631,000

+36,000

627,000

359,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

602,730

619,951

-17,221

710,152

329,925

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

639,000

620,000

+19,000

608,500

347,750

 

Advance

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Feb. 14

Feb. 7

Change

Jan. 31

Year


Ins. Unemployment (SA)

5,112,000

4,998,000

+114,000

4,820,000

2,744,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

6,098,530

5,972,146

+126,384

5,953,114

3,298,510

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

4,932,250

4,843,000

+89,250

4,747,750

2,746,500


Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

3.8%

3.7%

+0.1

3.6%

2.1%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

4.6%

4.5%

+0.1

4.4%

2.5%


INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


 

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Feb. 14

Feb. 7

Change

Year


Federal Employees

1,244

1,496

-252

879

Newly Discharged Veterans

1,941

2,016

-75

1,426


PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


 

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Feb. 7

Jan. 31

Change

Year


Federal Employees

19,559

21,234

-1,675

16,413

Newly Discharged Veterans

28,129

28,032

+97

23,306

Railroad Retirement Board

9,000

9,000

0

4,000

Extended Benefits

2,710

1,309

+1,401

0

EUC 2008

1,393,834

1,551,146

-157,312

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 133,886,830 as denominator.


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 


State

Change

 

State Supplied Comment

CA

-16,550

 

Fewer layoffs in the trade and service industries.

KY

-7,741

 

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

PA

-6,547

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and transportation industries.

IL

-6,248

 

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

NY

-3,955

 

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

OH

-3,783

 

No comment.

MI

-3,704

 

No comment.

WI

-3,698

 

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

FL

-3,486

 

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

TN

-3,343

 

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

AR

-3,155

 

Fewer layoffs in the trade industry.

NC

-3,026

 

Fewer layoffs in the textile, electrical equipment, and electronic equipment industries.

GA

-2,967

 

Fewer layoffs in the textile industry.

KS

-2,884

 

No comment.

MO

-2,313

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction and trade industries.

WA

-1,989

 

No comment.

OR

-1,812

 

No comment.

IA

-1,726

 

No comment.

AL

-1,614

 

Fewer layoffs in the primary metals and transportation equipment industries.

IN

-1,556

 

Fewer layoffs in the automobile, transportation, trade, and manufacturing industries.

MA

-1,309

 

No comment.

TX

-1,187

 

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

MD

-1,158

 

No comment.

PR

-1,104

 

No comment.


STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 


State

Change

 

State Supplied Comment

NJ

+2,093

 

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

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current



 

Phone Numbers