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News Release
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending January 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 399,000, an increase of 24,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 375,000. The 4-week moving average was 381,750, an increase of 7,750 from the previous week's revised average of 374,000.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending December 31, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending December 31, was 3,628,000, an increase of 19,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,609,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,605,000, unchanged from the preceding week's revised average.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 642,381 in the week ending January 7, an increase of 102,314 from the previous week. There were 773,499 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.3 percent during the week ending December 31, an increase of 0.3 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,139,988, an increase of 360,884 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.8 percent and the volume was 4,790,155.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending December 24 was 7,333,213, an increase of 111,010 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, Maryland, 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 December 24.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,640 in the week ending December 31, a decrease of 452 from the prior week. There were 1,896 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 436 from the preceding week.
There were 29,868 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending December 24, a decrease of 909 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 42,096, a decrease of 256 from the prior week.
States reported 2,926,676 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending December 24, a decrease of 5,885 from the prior week. There were 3,773,092 claimants in the comparable week in 2011. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending December 24 were in Alaska (7.4), Oregon (4.5), Idaho (4.1), Montana (4.1), Pennsylvania (4.1), Puerto Rico (4.1), Wisconsin (4.1), Nevada (3.8), New Jersey (3.8), Arkansas (3.7), Illinois (3.7), Michigan (3.7), and Rhode Island (3.7).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending December 31 were in Michigan (+10,364), Wisconsin (+10,203), Pennsylvania (+8,135), New Jersey (+7,989), and New York (+7,746) while the largest decreases were in California (-23,969), Illinois (-4,696), Texas (-2,385), Nevada (-1,590), and Kansas (-1,341).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
WEEK ENDING | Advance Jan. 7 | Dec. 31 | Change | Dec. 24 | Prior Year1 |
|---|
Initial Claims (SA) | 399,000 | 375,000 | +24,000 | 387,000 | 437,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initial Claims (NSA) | 642,381 | 540,067 | +102,314 | 497,689 | 773,499 |
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) | 381,750 | 374,000 | +7,750 | 376,500 | 420,500 |
WEEK ENDING | Advance Dec. 31 | Dec. 24 | Change | Dec. 17 | Prior Year1 |
|---|
Ins. Unemployment (SA) | 3,628,000 | 3,609,000 | +19,000 | 3,616,000 | 3,946,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) | 4,139,988 | 3,779,104 | +360,884 | 3,612,458 | 4,790,155 |
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) | 3,605,000 | 3,605,000 | 0 | 3,602,500 | 4,076,250 |
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.0 | 2.9% | 3.1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 | 3.3% | 3.0% | +0.3 | 2.9% | 3.8% |
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING | Dec. 31 | Dec. 24 | Change | Prior Year1 |
|---|
Federal Employees | 1,640 | 2,092 | -452 | 1,925 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Newly Discharged Veterans | 1,896 | 2,332 | -436 | 2,043 |
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING | Dec. 24 | Dec. 17 | Change | Prior Year1 |
Regular State | 3,771,782 | 3,602,539 | +169,243 | 4,404,756 |
Federal Employees (UCFE) | 29,868 | 30,777 | -909 | 49,772 |
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) | 42,096 | 42,352 | -256 | 41,865 |
EUC 20083 | 2,926,676 | 2,932,561 | -5,885 | 3,773,092 |
Extended Benefits4 | 528,215 | 570,791 | -42,576 | 874,172 |
State Additional Benefits 5 | 3,891 | 4,524 | -633 | 6,549 |
STC / Workshare 6 | 30,685 | 38,659 | -7,974 | 44,717 |
TOTAL | 7,333,213 | 7,222,203 | +111,010 | 9,194,923 |
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 126,188,733 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 paid, 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 12/24/2011
STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State | Change |
| State Supplied Comment |
CA | -23,969 |
| Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries. |
IL | -4,696 |
| No comment. |
TX | -2,385 |
| No comment. |
NV | -1,590 |
| Fewer layoffs due to the holiday. |
KS | -1,341 |
| No comment. |
FL | -1,059 |
| Fewer layoffs in the agriculture, construction, trade, retail, and service industries. |
NM | -1,041 |
| No comment. |
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State | Change |
| State Supplied Comment |
MI | +10,364 |
| No comment. |
WI | +10,203 |
| No comment. |
PA | +8,135 |
| Layoffs in the transportation, construction, wood product, and metal industries. |
NJ | +7,989 |
| Layoffs in the service, transportation, warehousing, manufacturing, retail, and construction industries. |
NY | +7,746 |
| Layoffs in the service, transportation, and construction industries. |
GA | +7,707 |
| Layoffs in the service, manufacturing, trade, and construction industries. |
NC | +6,849 |
| Layoffs in the construction, textile, service, apparel, lumber and wood products, and furniture and fixture industries. |
AL | +4,687 |
| Layoffs in the textile, service, and apparel industries. |
VA | +2,999 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
MA | +2,926 |
| Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries. |
CT | +2,261 |
| No comment. |
OR | +1,778 |
| No comment. |
AR | +1,702 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing, and fitness and recreational industries. |
SC | +1,622 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing and service industries. |
MD | +1,221 |
| No comment. |
IA | +1,167 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
OH | +1,126 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
State Detail Prior WeekUI Claims Series 1967 to current
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