Please note: As of January 20, 2021, information in some news releases may be out of date or not reflect current policies.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 September 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 359,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 385,000. The 4-week moving average was 374,000, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average of 378,500.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending September 15, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 15 was 3,271,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,275,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,295,500, a decrease of 15,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,310,500.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 300,661 in the week ending September 22, a decrease of 29,702 from the previous week. There were 328,073 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending September 15, a decline of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,833,088, a decrease of 94,416 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.5 percent and the volume was 3,207,559.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending September 8 was 5,173,586, a decrease of 11 from the previous week. There were 6,983,307 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2011
Extended Benefits were not available in any states during the week ending September 8.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,270 in the week ending September 15, an increase of 308 from the prior week. There were 2,909 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 194 from the preceding week.
There were 17,029 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending September 8, an increase of 419 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 38,128, an increase of 1,035 from the prior week.
States reported 2,160,448 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending September 8, a decrease of 2,084 from the prior week. There were 3,036,635 persons claiming EUC 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 September 8 were in Puerto Rico (3.9), Alaska (3.6), New Jersey (3.5), Pennsylvania (3.4), California (3.1), Connecticut (3.1), Nevada (2.9), New York (2.8), Oregon (2.8), and Arkansas (2.7).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending September 15 were in California (+18,522), Michigan (+3,522), Florida (+2,018), New York (+1,969), and Indiana (+1,739), while the largest decreases were in Louisiana (-4,150), Puerto Rico (-854), Missouri (-811), Kentucky (-710), and Mississippi (-518).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
WEEK ENDING | Advance Sept. 22 | Sept. 15 | Change | Sept. 8 | Prior Year1 |
|---|
Initial Claims (SA) | 359,000 | 385,000 | -26,000 | 385,000 | 393,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initial Claims (NSA) | 300,661 | 330,363 | -29,702 | 299,729 | 328,073 |
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) | 374,000 | 378,500 | -4,500 | 375,750 | 410,500 |
WEEK ENDING | Advance Sept. 15 | Sept. 8 | Change | Sept. 1 | Prior Year1 |
|---|
Ins. Unemployment (SA) | 3,271,000 | 3,275,000 | -4,000 | 3,304,000 | 3,725,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) | 2,833,088 | 2,927,504 | -94,416 | 2,930,825 | 3,207,559 |
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) | 3,295,500 | 3,310,500 | -15,000 | 3,321,750 | 3,723,250 |
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 | 2.6% | 2.6% | 0.0 | 2.6% | 3.0% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 | 2.2% | 2.3% | -0.1 | 2.3% | 2.5% |
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING | Sept. 15 | Sept. 8 | Change | Prior Year1 |
|---|
Federal Employees | 1,270 | 962 | +308 | 2,328 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Newly Discharged Veterans | 2,909 | 2,715 | +194 | 2,903 |
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING | Sept. 8 | Sept. 1 | Change | Prior Year1 |
Regular State | 2,919,021 | 2,923,959 | -4,938 | 3,296,439 |
Federal Employees (UCFE) | 17,029 | 16,610 | +419 | 25,078 |
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) | 38,128 | 37,093 | +1,035 | 38,439 |
EUC 20083 | 2,160,448 | 2,162,532 | -2,084 | 3,036,635 |
Extended Benefits4 | 2,556 | 2,407 | +149 | 542,164 |
State Additional Benefits 5 | 6,309 | 5,583 | +726 | 4,511 |
STC / Workshare 6 | 30,095 | 25,413 | +4,682 | 40,041 |
TOTAL | 5,173,586 | 5,173,597 | -11 | 6,983,307 |
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 127,495,952 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 09/15/2012
STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State | Change |
| State Supplied Comment |
LA | -4,150 |
| No comment. |
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State | Change |
| State Supplied Comment |
CA | +18,522 |
| Return to a 5 day work week. |
MI | +3,522 |
| Layoffs in the administrative support, waste managment and remediation service industry. |
FL | +2,018 |
| Layoffs in the agriculture, construction, manufacturing and wholesale trade industries. |
NY | +1,969 |
| Layoffs in the construction, retail trade and public administrative industries. |
IN | +1,739 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
VA | +1,709 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
GA | +1,451 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
OR | +1,327 |
| No comment. |
SC | +1,307 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
NC | +1,076 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing and construction 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/