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News Release

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION

USDL 12-1944-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: (202) 693-4676

September 27, 2012

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending September 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 359,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 385,000. The 4-week moving average was 374,000, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average of 378,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending September 15, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 15 was 3,271,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,275,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,295,500, a decrease of 15,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,310,500.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 300,661 in the week ending September 22, a decrease of 29,702 from the previous week. There were 328,073 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending September 15, a decline of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,833,088, a decrease of 94,416 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.5 percent and the volume was 3,207,559.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending September 8 was 5,173,586, a decrease of 11 from the previous week. There were 6,983,307 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2011

Extended Benefits were not available in any states during the week ending September 8.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,270 in the week ending September 15, an increase of 308 from the prior week. There were 2,909 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 194 from the preceding week.

There were 17,029 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending September 8, an increase of 419 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 38,128, an increase of 1,035 from the prior week.

States reported 2,160,448 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending September 8, a decrease of 2,084 from the prior week. There were 3,036,635 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2011. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending September 8 were in Puerto Rico (3.9), Alaska (3.6), New Jersey (3.5), Pennsylvania (3.4), California (3.1), Connecticut (3.1), Nevada (2.9), New York (2.8), Oregon (2.8), and Arkansas (2.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending September 15 were in California (+18,522), Michigan (+3,522), Florida (+2,018), New York (+1,969), and Indiana (+1,739), while the largest decreases were in Louisiana (-4,150), Puerto Rico (-854), Missouri (-811), Kentucky (-710), and Mississippi (-518).


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS


WEEK ENDING

Advance Sept. 22

Sept. 15

Change

Sept. 8

Prior Year1


Initial Claims (SA)

359,000

385,000

-26,000

385,000

393,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

300,661

330,363

-29,702

299,729

328,073

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

374,000

378,500

-4,500

375,750

410,500

WEEK ENDING

Advance Sept. 15

Sept. 8

Change

Sept. 1

Prior Year1


Ins. Unemployment (SA)

3,271,000

3,275,000

-4,000

3,304,000

3,725,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

2,833,088

2,927,504

-94,416

2,930,825

3,207,559

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

3,295,500

3,310,500

-15,000

3,321,750

3,723,250


Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

2.6%

2.6%

0.0

2.6%

3.0%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

2.2%

2.3%

-0.1

2.3%

2.5%


INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


WEEK ENDING

Sept. 15

Sept. 8

Change

Prior Year1

Federal Employees

1,270

962

+308

2,328

Newly Discharged Veterans

2,909

2,715

+194

2,903


PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


WEEK ENDING

Sept. 8

Sept. 1

Change

Prior Year1

Regular State

2,919,021

2,923,959

-4,938

3,296,439

Federal Employees (UCFE)

17,029

16,610

+419

25,078

Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX)

38,128

37,093

+1,035

38,439

EUC 20083

2,160,448

2,162,532

-2,084

3,036,635

Extended Benefits4

2,556

2,407

+149

542,164

State Additional Benefits 5

6,309

5,583

+726

4,511

STC / Workshare 6

30,095

25,413

+4,682

40,041

TOTAL

5,173,586

5,173,597

-11

6,983,307

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 127,495,952 as denominator.
3 - EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity. Tier-specific EUC data can be found here: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/docs/persons.xls
4 - Information on the EB program can be found here: http://www.ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/extenben.asp
5 - Some states maintain additional benefit programs for those claimants who exhaust regular, extended and emergency benefits. Information on states that participate,
        and the extent of benefits paid, can be found starting on page 4-5 of this link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf
6 - Information on STC/Worksharing can be found starting on page 4-9 of the following link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 09/15/2012


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 


State

Change

 

State Supplied Comment

LA

-4,150

 

No comment.


STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000


State

Change

 

State Supplied Comment

CA

+18,522

 

Return to a 5 day work week.

MI

+3,522

 

Layoffs in the administrative support, waste managment and remediation service industry.

FL

+2,018

 

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

NY

+1,969

 

Layoffs in the construction, retail trade and public administrative industries.

IN

+1,739

 

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

VA

+1,709

 

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

GA

+1,451

 

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

OR

+1,327

 

No comment.

SC

+1,307

 

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

NC

+1,076

 

Layoffs in the manufacturing and construction industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current


This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-693-4676. TDD Message Phone: 1-800-326-2577. News releases from the U.S. Department of Labor are accessible on the Internet at: http://www.dol.gov/ and http://www.ows.doleta.gov/