Please note: As of January 20, 2021, information in some news releases may be out of date or not reflect current policies.

News Release

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Oct. 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 531,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 520,000. The 4-week moving average was 532,250, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average of 533,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.5 percent for the week ending Oct. 10, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 4.6 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Oct. 10 was 5,923,000, a decrease of 98,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 6,021,000. The 4-week moving average was 6,030,750, a decrease of 59,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 6,090,000.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 460,449 in the week ending Oct. 17, a decrease of 49,113 from the previous week. There were 416,111 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.7 percent during the week ending Oct. 10, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,898,174, a decrease of 44,913 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.3 percent and the volume was 3,134,390.

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 Oct. 3.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,243 in the week ending Oct. 10, an increase of 352 from the prior week. There were 2,656 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 162 from the preceding week.

There were 19,969 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Oct. 3, a decrease of 728 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 30,437, a decrease of 1,438 from the prior week.

States reported 3,390,622 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Oct. 3, an increase of 40,716 from the prior week. There were 1,173,367 claimants in the comparable week in 2008. EUC weekly claims include both first and second tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Oct. 3 were in Puerto Rico (6.6 percent), Oregon (5.3), Nevada (5.2), Pennsylvania (4.9), California (4.8), Michigan (4.7), Wisconsin (4.7), North Carolina (4.6), South Carolina (4.5), and Washington (4.5).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Oct. 10 were in Florida (+9,976), New York (+5,411), Wisconsin (+4,999), Indiana (+4,977), and Arkansas (+4,704), while the largest decreases were in California (-7,062), Tennessee (-294), Maine (-140), and Nebraska (-34).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

Advance

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Oct. 17

Oct. 10

Change

Oct. 3

Year

Initial Claims (SA)

531,000

520,000

+11,000

524,000

479,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

460,449

509,562

-49,113

451,883

416,111

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

532,250

533,000

-750

540,500

479,000

Advance

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Oct. 10

Oct. 3

Change

Sept. 26

Year

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

5,923,000

6,021,000

-98,000

6,067,000

3,758,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

4,898,174

4,943,087

-44,913

5,017,172

3,134,390

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

6,030,750

6,090,000

-59,250

6,151,000

3,712,500

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

4.5%

4.6%

-0.1

4.6%

2.8%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

3.7%

3.7%

0.0

3.8%

2.3%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Oct. 10

Oct. 3

Change

Year

Federal Employees

2,243

1,891

+352

1,653

Newly Discharged Veterans

2,656

2,494

+162

1,901

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Oct. 3

Sept. 26

Change

Year

Federal Employees

19,969

20,697

-728

13,535

Newly Discharged Veterans

30,437

31,875

-1,438

22,347

Railroad Retirement Board

10,000

10,000

0

3,000

Extended Benefits

464,778

481,165

-16,387

1,883

EUC 20083

3,390,622

3,349,906

+40,716

1,173,367

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 both first and second tier activity.

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 10/10/2009

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

CA

-7,062

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

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

MI

+1,096

No comment.

SC

+1,247

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

OR

+1,253

No comment.

PA

+1,253

Layoffs in the service and transportation equipment industries.

MO

+1,373

Layoffs in the service, transportation, and warehousing industries.

GA

+1,500

Layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.

TX

+1,631

Layoffs in the transportation, service, and manufacturing industries.

WA

+1,740

Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.

KY

+1,834

No comment.

IA

+2,181

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

KS

+2,544

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

MD

+2,783

Layoffs in the trade and service industries.

IL

+3,172

Layoffs in the trade and service industries.

AR

+4,704

Layoffs in the construction industry.

IN

+4,977

Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.

WI

+4,999

Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.

NY

+5,411

Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.

FL

+9,976

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

State Detail Prior WeekUI 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/

Agency
Employment and Training Administration
Date
October 22, 2009