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News Release
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Feb. 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 639,000, a decrease of 31,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 670,000. The 4-week moving average was 641,750, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average of 639,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.8 percent for the week ending Feb. 21, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.8 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Feb. 21 was 5,106,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 5,120,000. The 4-week moving average was 5,011,000, an increase of 76,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,934,250.
The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 4.501 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 640,601 in the week ending Feb. 28, an increase of 34,933 from the previous week. There were 345,165 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.6 percent during the week ending Feb. 21, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 6,209,294, an increase of 100,896 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.5 percent and the volume was 3,380,987.
Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island during the week ending Feb. 14.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,141 in the week ending Feb. 21, a decrease of 103 from the prior week. There were 1,738 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 203 from the preceding week.
There were 20,002 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Feb. 14, an increase of 443 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 27,909, a decrease of 220 from the prior week.
States reported 1,432,919 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Feb. 14, an increase of 39,085 from the prior week.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Feb. 14 were in Michigan (8.2 percent), Oregon (7.3), Idaho (7.1), Pennsylvania (6.7), Wisconsin (6.5), Rhode Island (6.2), Alaska (6.0), Nevada (6.0), Montana (5.8), and Puerto Rico (5.8).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Feb. 21 were in Illinois (+3,791), Massachusetts (+3,438), Missouri (+3,027), Ohio (+2,731), and California (+2,677), while the largest decreases were in Florida (-3,586), Virginia (-3,490), New York (-3,420), Michigan (-3,373), and New Jersey (-2,266).
| Advance |
|
|
| Prior1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WEEK ENDING | Feb. 28 | Feb. 21 | Change | Feb. 14 | Year |
Initial Claims (SA) | 639,000 | 670,000 | -31,000 | 631,000 | 344,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initial Claims (NSA) | 640,601 | 605,668 | +34,933 | 619,951 | 345,165 |
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) | 641,750 | 639,750 | +2,000 | 620,000 | 346,000 |
| Advance | Prior1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WEEK ENDING | Feb. 21 | Feb. 14 | Change | Feb. 7 | Year |
Ins. Unemployment (SA) | 5,106,000 | 5,120,000 | -14,000 | 4,998,000 | 2,808,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) | 6,209,294 | 6,108,398 | +100,896 | 5,972,146 | 3,380,987 |
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) | 5,011,000 | 4,934,250 | +76,750 | 4,843,000 | 2,755,250 |
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 | 3.8% | 3.8% | 0.0 | 3.7% | 2.1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 | 4.6% | 4.6% | 0.0 | 4.5% | 2.5% |
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
|
|
|
| Prior1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
WEEK ENDING | Feb. 21 | Feb. 14 | Change | Year |
Federal Employees | 1,141 | 1,244 | -103 | 853 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Newly Discharged Veterans | 1,738 | 1,941 | -203 | 1,293 |
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
|
|
|
| Prior1 |
WEEK ENDING | Feb. 14 | Feb. 7 | Change | Year |
Federal Employees | 20,002 | 19,559 | +443 | 17,119 |
Newly Discharged Veterans | 27,909 | 28,129 | -220 | 22,596 |
Railroad Retirement Board | 8,000 | 8,000 | 0 | 4,000 |
Extended Benefits | 2,766 | 2,710 | +56 | 0 |
EUC 2008 | 1,432,919 | 1,393,834 | +39,085 | 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 02/21/2009
STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State | Change |
| State Supplied Comment |
FL | -3,586 |
| Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries. |
VA | -3,490 |
| Fewer layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries. |
NY | -3,420 |
| Fewer layoffs in the construction and trade industries. |
MI | -3,373 |
| Fewer layoffs were reported throughout all industries. |
NJ | -2,266 |
| Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries. |
NC | -1,960 |
| Fewer layoffs in the transportation equipment industry. |
IN | -1,892 |
| Fewer layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries. |
SC | -1,762 |
| Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
OR | -1,461 |
| No comment. |
KY | -1,263 |
| Fewer layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries. |
KS | -1,162 |
| No comment. |
MN | -1,029 |
| No comment. |
TX | -1,022 |
| Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries. |
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State | Change |
| State Supplied Comment |
NM | +1,131 |
| No comment. |
OK | +1,217 |
| No comment. |
IA | +1,222 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
CT | +2,188 |
| Increase is seasonal, school closings related. |
CA | +2,677 |
| No comment. |
OH | +2,731 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
MO | +3,027 |
| Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries. |
MA | +3,438 |
| Increase is seasonal, school closings related. Also layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
IL | +3,791 |
| Layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries. |