News Release

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION

USDL 09-1574-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 31, 2009
(202) 693-4676

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Dec. 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 432,000, a decrease of 22,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 454,000. The 4-week moving average was 460,250, a decrease of 5,500 from the previous week's revised average of 465,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.8 percent for the week ending Dec. 19, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 3.8 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Dec. 19 was 4,981,000, a decrease of 57,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 5,038,000. The 4-week moving average was 5,101,000, a decrease of 122,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 5,223,250.

The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 5.621 million.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 557,155 in the week ending Dec. 26, a decrease of 8,088 from the previous week. There were 717,000 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.9 percent during the week ending Dec. 19, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,090,652, a decrease of 254,815 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.4 percent and the volume was 4,572,637.

Extended benefits were available in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin during the week ending Dec. 12.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,756 in the week ending Dec. 19, a decrease of 390 from the prior week. There were 2,274 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 123 from the preceding week.

There were 26,422 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 12, a decrease of 49 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 37,526, an increase of 1,378 from the prior week.

States reported 4,448,914 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Dec. 12, an increase of 191,669 from the prior week. There were 1,567,930 claimants in the comparable week in 2008. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Dec. 12 were in Alaska (7.4 percent), Oregon (6.1), Puerto Rico (5.8), Wisconsin (5.6), Michigan (5.5), Idaho (5.4), Montana (5.4), Nevada (5.4), Pennsylvania (5.4), and California (5.3).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 19 were in Michigan (+8,382), California (+7,317), Florida (+3,179), Iowa (+2,820), and Missouri (+1,628), while the largest decreases were in Tennessee (-2,972), Illinois (-2,923), Pennsylvania (-2,875), Georgia (-2,684), and North Carolina (-1,771).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

WEEK ENDING	Dec. 26	Dec. 19	Change	Dec. 12	Year
	Advance				Prior1

Initial Claims (SA)	432,000	454,000	-22,000	480,000	508,000
Initial Claims (NSA)	557,155	565,243	-8,088	555,383	717,000
4-Wk Moving Average (SA)	460,250	465,750	-5,500	468,000	544,000


WEEK ENDING	Dec. 19	Dec. 12	Change	Dec. 5	Year
	Advance				Prior1

Ins. Unemployment (SA)	4,981,000	5,038,000	-57,000	5,202,000	4,470,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA)	5,090,652	5,345,467	-254,815	5,192,075	4,572,637
4-Wk Moving Average (SA)	5,101,000	5,223,250	-122,250	5,322,750	4,377,750

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2	3.8%	3.8%	0.0	3.9%	3.3%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2	3.9%	4.1%	-0.2	3.9%	3.4%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING	Dec. 19	Dec. 12	Change	Year
				Prior1

Federal Employees	1,756	2,146	-390	1,609
Newly Discharged Veterans	2,274	2,151	+123	1,955

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

				Prior1
WEEK ENDING	Dec. 12	Dec. 5	Change	Year

Federal Employees	26,422	26,471	-49	18,968
Newly Discharged Veterans	37,526	36,148	+1,378	25,535
Railroad Retirement Board	11,000	11,000	0	4,000
Extended Benefits	367,498	359,982	+7,516	1,671
EUC 20083	4,448,914	4,257,245	+191,669	1,567,930

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 131,823,421 as denominator.
3 - EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 12/19/2009

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State	Change	State Supplied Comment
TN	-2,972	No comment.
IL	-2,923	Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
PA	-2,875	No comment.
GA	-2,684	Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
NC	-1,771	Fewer layoffs in the industrial machinery, computer equipment, lumber/wood, furniture, construction, trade, and service industries.
SC	-1,740	Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
CO	-1,236	No comment.
WV	-1,104	No comment.
LA	-1,049	No comment.
AL	-1,021	Fewer layoffs in the construction and textile industries.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State	Change	State Supplied Comment
NY	+1,155	Layoffs in the construction, service, and real estate industries.
NV	+1,184	No comment.
KY	+1,198	Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
WA	+1,263	No comment.
NJ	+1,272	Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
OK	+1,291	No comment.
WI	+1,484	Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and utilities industries.
MO	+1,628	Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
IA	+2,820	Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
FL	+3,179	Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries, and agriculture.
CA	+7,317	Increase due primarily to the fact that the offices were able to process claims for six days, as well as layoffs in the construction and service industries.
MI	+8,382	Layoffs in the automobile industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current