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News Release

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending September 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 391,000, a decrease of 37,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 428,000. The 4-week moving average was 417,000, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average of 422,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending September 17, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 17 was 3,729,000, a decrease of 20,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,749,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,743,000, a decrease of 4,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,747,500.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 324,940 in the week ending September 24, a decrease of 28,880 from the previous week. There were 372,551 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent during the week ending September 17, a decrease of 0.1 percetage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,187,921, a decrease of 118,799 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.0 percent and the volume was 3,810,921.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending September 10 was 6,984,897, an increase of 95,242 from the previous week.

Extended benefits were available in Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin during the week ending September 10.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,328 in the week ending September 17, an increase of 767 from the prior week. There were 2,903 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 411 from the preceding week.

There were 25,039 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending September 10, an increase of 1,517 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 38,362, an increase of 996 from the prior week.

States reported 3,036,635 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending September 10, an increase of 39,376 from the prior week. There were 3,965,778 claimants in the comparable week in 2010. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending September 10 were in Puerto Rico (4.5), Pennsylvania (3.9), Alaska (3.7), New Jersey (3.7), California (3.5), Nevada (3.4), Oregon (3.4), Connecticut (3.3), Arkansas (3.1), Rhode Island (3.1), and the Virgin Islands (3.1).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending September 17 were in New York (+4,389), Georgia (+3,038), Pennsylvania (+2,483), Texas (+2,077), and Ohio (+2,014) while the largest decreases were in Puerto Rico(-905), Oregon (-579), Maryland (-553), Kentucky (-501), and Nevada (-423).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

WEEK ENDING

Advance Sept. 24

Sept. 17

Change

Sept. 10

Prior Year1

Initial Claims (SA)

391,000

428,000

-37,000

432,000

450,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

324,940

353,820

-28,880

328,868

372,551

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

417,000

422,250

-5,250

420,500

454,500

WEEK ENDING

Advance Sept. 17

Sept. 10

Change

Sept. 3

Prior Year1

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

3,729,000

3,749,000

-20,000

3,755,000

4,462,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

3,187,921

3,306,720

-118,799

3,293,105

3,810,921

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

3,743,000

3,747,500

-4,500

3,748,500

4,488,500

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

3.0

3.0

0.0

3.0

3.5

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

2.5

2.6

-0.1

2.6

3.0

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Sept. 17

Sept. 10

Change

Prior Year1

Federal Employees

2,328

1,561

+767

4,170

Newly Discharged Veterans

2,903

2,492

+411

2,811

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Sept. 10

Sept. 3

Change

Prior Year1

Regular State

3,296,439

3,283,381

+13,058

3,915,029

Federal Employees (UCFE)

25,039

23,522

+1,517

29,784

Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX)

38,362

37,366

+996

40,898

EUC 20083

3,036,635

2,997,259

+39,376

3,965,778

Extended Benefits4

543,870

507,700

+36,170

913,113

State Additional Benefits 5

4,511

4,160

+351

3,816

STC / Workshare 6

40,041

36,267

+3,774

61,657

TOTAL

6,984,897

6,889,655

+95,242

8,930,075

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 125,807,389 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.xls4 - 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 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 09/17/2011

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

None

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

CA

+1,068

Layoffs in the service industry.

FL

+1,169

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

TN

+1,351

Layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries

CT

+1,510

No comment.

OH

+2,014

Layoffs in the automobile industry.

TX

+2,077

Layoffs in the manufacturing and service industries.

PA

+2,483

No comment.

GA

+3,038

Layoffs in the manufacturing, service, and retail industries.

NY

+4,389

Layoffs in the construction, retail, 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/

Agency
Employment and Training Administration
Date
September 29, 2011