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News Release

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Jan. 31, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 626,000, an increase of 35,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 591,000. The 4-week moving average was 582,250, an increase of 39,000 from the previous week's revised average of 543,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending Jan. 24, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.6 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Jan. 24 was 4,788,000, an increase of 20,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,768,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,672,000, an increase of 44,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,628,000.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 676,590 in the week ending Jan. 31, an increase of 56,478 from the previous week. There were 380,138 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.3 percent during the week ending Jan. 24, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,793,331, an increase of 62,724 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.5 percent and the volume was 3,344,396.

Extended benefits were available in North Carolina, Oregon, and Rhode Island during the week ending Jan. 17.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,586 in the week ending Jan. 24, a decrease of 252 from the prior week. There were 2,719 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 498 from the preceding week.

There were 20,857 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Jan. 17, an increase of 632 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 26,742, a decrease of 477 from the prior week.

States reported 1,738,162 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Jan. 17, an increase of 19,476 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Jan. 17 were in Michigan (8.9 percent), Idaho (6.6), Oregon (6.6), Pennsylvania (6.2), South Carolina (6.0), Wisconsin (6.0), Alaska (5.6), Nevada (5.5), Indiana (5.4), and Montana (5.3).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Jan. 24 were in Wisconsin (+1,355), Rhode Island (+689), Virginia (+682), Oklahoma (+406), and Puerto Rico (+314), while the largest decreases were in Florida (-14,703), California (-12,074), Michigan (-11,639), Georgia (-9,949), and Ohio (-9,926).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

Advance

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Jan. 31

Jan. 24

Change

Jan. 17

Year

Initial Claims (SA)

626,000

591,000

+35,000

585,000

351,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

676,590

620,112

+56,478

763,987

380,138

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

582,250

543,250

+39,000

518,250

339,000

Advance

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Jan. 24

Jan. 17

Change

Jan. 10

Year

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

4,788,000

4,768,000

+20,000

4,617,000

2,773,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

5,793,331

5,730,607

+62,724

5,651,117

3,344,396

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

4,672,000

4,628,000

+44,000

4,563,500

2,723,000

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

3.6%

3.6%

0.0

3.4%

2.1%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

4.3%

4.3%

0.0

4.2%

2.5%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Jan. 24

Jan. 17

Change

Year

Federal Employees

1,586

1,838

-252

1,178

Newly Discharged Veterans

2,719

2,221

+498

1,377

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Jan. 17

Jan. 10

Change

Year

Federal Employees

20,857

20,225

+632

19,312

Newly Discharged Veterans

26,742

27,219

-477

23,539

Railroad Retirement Board

6,000

6,000

0

4,000

Extended Benefits

14,058

12,472

+1,586

0

EUC 2008

1,738,162

1,718,686

+19,476

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.

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 01/24/2009

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

FL

-14,703

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

CA

-12,074

Fewer layoffs in the trade and service industries.

MI

-11,639

Fewer layoffs were reported throughout most industries.

GA

-9,949

Fewer layoffs in the service and textile industries.

OH

-9,926

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

NC

-8,253

Fewer layoffs in the lumber/wood, industrial machinery, transportation equipment, construction, trade, and service industries.

SC

-7,769

Fewer layoffs in the industrial machinery and transportation equipment industries.

PA

-7,754

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

TN

-7,470

Fewer layoffs in the fabricated metals, transportation equipment, apparel, rubber/plastics, and trade industries.

TX

-7,184

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

NY

-6,923

Fewer layoffs in the food, transportation, and manufacturing industries.

WA

-3,807

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

AL

-2,974

Fewer layoffs in the apparel and wood products industries.

IN

-2,349

No comment.

MD

-2,322

No comment.

MA

-2,269

No comment.

MO

-2,215

Fewer layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.

NJ

-2,184

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

AR

-2,106

No comment.

NV

-1,806

No comment.

KY

-1,784

No comment.

IL

-1,719

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

CT

-1,715

No comment.

MN

-1,554

No comment.

AZ

-1,422

No comment.

CO

-1,401

No comment.

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

KS

-1,166

No comment.

IA

-1,083

Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.

OR

-1,056

No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

WI

+1,355

Layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.

State Detail Prior WeekUI Claims Series 1967 to current

Agency
Employment and Training Administration
Date
February 5, 2009