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News Release

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending October 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 369,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 392,000. The 4-week moving average was 368,000, an increase of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average of 366,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending October 13, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending October 13 was 3,254,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,256,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,269,750, a decrease of 6,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,276,500.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 342,702 in the week ending October 20, a decrease of 20,032 from the previous week. There were 377,156 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending October 13, an increase 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 2,811,504, an increase of 63,421 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.5 percent and the volume was 3,196,554.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending October 6 was 4,917,460, a decrease of 84,525 from the previous week. There were 6,679,024 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2011.

Extended Benefits were only available in New York during the week ending October 6.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,991 in the week ending October 13, an increase of 49 from the prior week. There were 2,824 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 638 from the preceding week.

There were 17,559 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending October 6, an increase of 680 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 38,069, a decrease of 393 from the prior week.

States reported 2,052,957 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending October 6, a decrease of 45,836 from the prior week. There were 2,921,937 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 October 6 were in Alaska (3.9), Puerto Rico (3.8), Virgin Islands (3.8), California (3.0), New Jersey (3.0), Pennsylvania (3.0), Oregon (2.8), Nevada (2.7), New York (2.6), Arkansas (2.5), Connecticut (2.5), Illinois (2.5), and North Carolina (2.5).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending October 13 were in California (+26,935), Florida (+3,947), Ohio (+1,936), Washington (+1,435), and Alaska (+1,383), while the largest decreases were in New York (-3,395), New Jersey (-1,311), Georgia (-1,285), Massachusetts (-1,141), and Kentucky (-982).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

WEEK ENDING

Advance Oct. 20

Oct. 13

Change

Oct. 6

Prior Year1

Initial Claims (SA)

369,000

392,000

-23,000

342,000

397,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

342,702

362,734

-20,032

329,919

377,156

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

368,000

366,500

+1,500

364,750

400,750

WEEK ENDING

Advance Oct. 13

Oct. 6

Change

Sept. 29

Prior Year1

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

3,254,000

3,256,000

-2,000

3,281,000

3,678,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

2,811,504

2,748,083

+63,421

2,785,230

3,196,554

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

3,269,750

3,276,500

-6,750

3,281,250

3,690,000

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

2.5%

2.5%

0.0

2.6%

2.9%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

2.2%

2.1%

+0.1

2.2%

2.5%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Oct. 13

Oct. 6

Change

Prior Year1

Federal Employees

1,991

1,942

+49

2,847

Newly Discharged Veterans

2,824

3,462

-638

2,731

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Oct. 6

Sept. 29

Change

Prior Year1

Regular State

2,740,657

2,777,728

-37,071

3,123,868

Federal Employees (UCFE)

17,559

16,879

+680

26,723

Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX)

38,069

38,462

-393

39,898

EUC 20083

2,052,957

2,098,793

-45,836

2,921,937

Extended Benefits4

34,389

35,245

-856

525,037

State Additional Benefits 5

6,151

6,313

-162

4,611

STC / Workshare 6

27,678

28,565

-887

36,950

TOTAL

4,917,460

5,001,985

-84,525

6,679,024

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 128,066,082 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 10/13/2012

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

NY

-3,395

Fewer layoffs in the healthcare and social assistance, real estate, rental and leasing, and food service industries.

NJ

-1,311

Fewer layoffs in the construction, administrative, healthcare and social assistance, and retail industries.

GA

-1,285

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing, trade, and healthcare and social assistance industries.

MA

-1,141

No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

CA

+26,935

Layoffs across all sectors, with the largest share from the service industry.

FL

+3,947

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

OH

+1,936

Layoffs in the transportation and manufacturing industries.

WA

+1,435

Layoffs in the manufacturing, and agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries.

AK

+1,383

No comment.

TX

+1,329

Layoff in the manufacturing, adminstrative support service, and retail industries.

IN

+1,082

Layoffs in the transportation and warehousing 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
October 25, 2012