Please note: As of January 20, 2021, information in some news releases may be out of date or not reflect current policies.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 Dec. 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 480,000, an increase of 7,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 473,000. The 4-week moving average was 467,500, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average of 472,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.9 percent for the week ending Dec. 5, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.9 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Dec. 5 was 5,186,000, an increase of 5,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 5,181,000. The 4-week moving average was 5,318,250, a decrease of 106,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 5,425,000.
The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 5.722 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 555,344 in the week ending Dec. 12, a decrease of 107,393 from the previous week. There were 629,867 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.9 percent during the week ending Dec. 5, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,176,122, a decrease of 222,989 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.3 percent and the volume was 4,378,273.
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 Nov. 28.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,081 in the week ending Dec. 5, an increase of 340 from the prior week. There were 2,390 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 1,007 from the preceding week.
There were 25,903 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Nov. 28, an increase of 1,764 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 36,441, an increase of 2,689 from the prior week.
States reported 4,226,300 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Nov. 28, an increase of 45,922 from the prior week. There were 994,188 claimants in the comparable week in 2008. EUC weekly claims include first, second, and third tier activity.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Nov. 28 were in Wisconsin (6.4 percent), Oregon (6.3), Alaska (6.2), Nevada (5.5), Puerto Rico (5.4), Michigan (5.3), Pennsylvania (5.3), Arkansas (5.2), Idaho (5.2), North Carolina (5.2), and Washington (5.2).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 5 were in California (+28,358), Georgia (+19,454), North Carolina (+18,500), Pennsylvania (+17,372), and New York (+16,344), while the largest decreases were in Kansas (-3,803), Kentucky (-2,048), Idaho (-979), Iowa (-917), and Puerto Rico (-892).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
| Advance |
|
|
| Prior1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WEEK ENDING | Dec. 12 | Dec. 5 | Change | Nov. 28 | Year |
Initial Claims (SA) | 480,000 | 473,000 | +7,000 | 454,000 | 552,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initial Claims (NSA) | 555,344 | 662,737 | -107,393 | 457,707 | 629,867 |
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) | 467,500 | 472,750 | -5,250 | 480,750 | 535,250 |
| Advance |
|
|
| Prior1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WEEK ENDING | Dec. 5 | Nov. 28 | Change | Nov. 21 | Year |
Ins. Unemployment (SA) | 5,186,000 | 5,181,000 | +5,000 | 5,470,000 | 4,356,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) | 5,176,122 | 5,399,111 | -222,989 | 4,791,751 | 4,378,273 |
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) | 5,318,250 | 5,425,000 | -106,750 | 5,542,500 | 4,208,250 |
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 | 3.9% | 3.9% | 0.0 | 4.1% | 3.3% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 | 3.9% | 4.1% | -0.2 | 3.6% | 3.3% |
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
|
|
|
| Prior1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
WEEK ENDING | Dec. 5 | Nov. 28 | Change | Year |
Federal Employees | 2,081 | 1,741 | +340 | 2,054 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Newly Discharged Veterans | 2,390 | 1,383 | +1,007 | 2,107 |
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
|
|
|
| Prior1 |
WEEK ENDING | Nov. 28 | Nov. 21 | Change | Year |
Federal Employees | 25,903 | 24,139 | +1,764 | 18,180 |
Newly Discharged Veterans | 36,441 | 33,752 | +2,689 | 26,301 |
Railroad Retirement Board | 10,000 | 10,000 | 0 | 4,000 |
Extended Benefits | 503,100 | 405,263 | +97,837 | 23,300 |
EUC 20083 | 4,226,300 | 4,180,378 | +45,922 | 994,188 |
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, and third tier activity.
UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 12/05/2009
STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State | Change |
| State Supplied Comment |
KS | -3,803 |
| No comment. |
KY | -2,048 |
| Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State | Change |
| State Supplied Comment |
UT | +1,142 |
| No comment. |
MA | +1,212 |
| Layoffs in the construction and trade industries. |
MS | +1,520 |
| No comment. |
CO | +1,892 |
| No comment. |
WV | +2,175 |
| No comment. |
OH | +2,192 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
AZ | +2,319 |
| No comment. |
NV | +2,561 |
| Return to a five day workweek. |
WI | +2,707 |
| Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, and warehousing industries. |
CT | +2,973 |
| No comment. |
NJ | +3,109 |
| Return to a five day workweek, as well as layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries. |
MN | +3,681 |
| No comment. |
MO | +3,728 |
| Layoffs in the construction and service industries. |
OR | +3,858 |
| No comment. |
MD | +4,058 |
| No comment. |
WA | +4,812 |
| Layoffs in the finance, insurance, and trade industries. |
AL | +5,695 |
| Layoffs in the construction, service, and apparel industries. |
VA | +6,174 |
| Return to a five day workweek, as well as layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
MI | +6,285 |
| Layoffs in the automobile industry. |
SC | +6,505 |
| Layoffs in the textile industry. |
TN | +7,569 |
| Layoffs in the transportation equipment, rubber/plastics, textile, trade, and service industries. |
FL | +8,680 |
| Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture. |
IL | +8,754 |
| Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries. |
TX | +12,222 |
| Layoffs in the information, service, and manufacturing industries. |
NY | +16,344 |
| Layoffs in the construction, service, and transportation industries. |
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State | Change |
| State Supplied Comment |
PA | +17,372 |
| Layoffs in the chemical, mining, industrial machinery, transportation equipment, electrical equipment, electronic equipment, primary metals, fabricated metals, and stone/clay/glass industries. |
NC | +18,500 |
| Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, lumber/wood, rubber/plastics, textile, and furniture industries. |
GA | +19,454 |
| Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries. |
CA | +28,358 |
| Return to a five day workweek, as well as layoffs in the construction and service industries. |
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/