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News Release

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending December 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 343,000, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 372,000. The 4-week moving average was 381,500, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's revised average of 408,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending December 1, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending December 1 was 3,198,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,221,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,270,750, a decrease of 42,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,313,000.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 428,814 in the week ending December 8, a decrease of 72,117 from the previous week. There were 435,863 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent during the week ending December 1, a decrease 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 3,159,199, a decrease of 158,195 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.8 percent and the volume was 3,540,663.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending November 24 was 5,642,678, an increase of 683,477 from the previous week. There were 7,449,508 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2011.

Extended Benefits were only available in New York during the week ending November 24.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,017 in the week ending December 1, an increase of 389 from the prior week. There were 2,910 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 1,047 from the preceding week.

There were 20,778 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending November 24, an increase of 1,930 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 41,391, an increase of 4,501 from the prior week.

States reported 2,194,253 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending November 24, an increase of 185,645 from the prior week. There were 3,048,926 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 November 24 were in Alaska (5.8), New Jersey (4.5), Puerto Rico (4.0), Oregon (3.8), Pennsylvania (3.7), California (3.5), Wisconsin (3.5), Montana (3.4), Connecticut (3.3), Nevada (3.2), and West Virginia (3.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending December 1 were in California (+24,411), Pennsylvania (+14,636), North Carolina (+13,961), New York (+11,025), and Texas (+10,435), while the largest decreases were in Kentucky (-615), Idaho (-481), Vermont (-402), Florida (-348) and Wisconsin (-91).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

WEEK ENDING

Advance Dec. 8

Dec. 1

Change

Nov. 24

Prior Year1

Initial Claims (SA)

343,000

372,000

-29,000

395,000

371,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

428,814

500,931

-72,117

358,869

435,863

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

381,500

408,500

-27,000

405,750

386,000

WEEK ENDING

Advance Dec. 1

Nov. 24

Change

Nov. 17

Prior Year1

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

3,198,000

3,221,000

-23,000

3,305,000

3,609,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

3,159,199

3,317,394

-158,195

2,835,628

3,540,663

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

3,270,750

3,313,000

-42,250

3,301,250

3,649,250

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

2.5%

2.5%

0.0

2.6%

2.9%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

2.5%

2.6%

-0.1

2.2%

2.8%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 1

Nov. 24

Change

Prior Year1

Federal Employees

2,017

1,628

+389

2,369

Newly Discharged Veterans

2,910

1,863

+1,047

2,879

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Nov. 24

Nov. 17

Change

Prior Year1

Regular State

3,309,627

2,829,876

+479,751

3,685,651

Federal Employees (UCFE)

20,778

18,848

+1,930

30,893

Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX)

41,391

36,890

+4,501

44,325

EUC 20083

2,194,253

2,008,608

+185,645

3,048,926

Extended Benefits4

40,523

37,096

+3,427

593,097

State Additional Benefits 5

5,974

5,820

+154

4,728

STC / Workshare 6

30,132

22,063

+8,069

41,888

TOTAL

5,642,678

4,959,201

+683,477

7,449,508

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 11/24/2012

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

+24,411

Increase a result of processing claims from prior week when offices were closed due to Thanksgiving holiday. Layoffs in the service, agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries.

PA

+14,636

Layoffs in the construction, professional, scientific and technology service, transportation, entertainment, and accommodations and food service industries.

NC

+13,961

No Comment .

NY

+11,025

Layoffs in the transportation, construction, and food service industries.

TX

+10,435

Increase a result of processing claims from prior week when offices were closed due to Thanksgiving holiday.

GA

+8,708

Layoffs in the manufacturing, administrative service, construction, trade, healthcare and social assistance, and accommodations and food service industries.

IL

+8,478

Layoffs in the construction, manufacturing, and administrative industries.

SC

+5,009

Layoffs in the machinery manufacturing, textile, and fabricated metal products industries.

MI

+4,065

Layoffs in the administrative service industry.

TN

+3,846

Layoffs in the administrative service, manufacturing, trade, food service industries.

VA

+3,326

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

MN

+3,168

No comment.

MO

+3,053

Layoffs in the construction and administrative service industries

AL

+2,668

Layoffs in the construction, administrative service, accommodations and food service, and retail industries.

NJ

+2,191

Layoffs in the construction, administrative, and retail industries.

MD

+1,737

No comment.

NV

+1,704

Increase a result of processing claims from prior week when offices were closed due to Thanksgiving holiday.

PR

+1,699

No comment.

MA

+1,654

No comment.

WV

+1,477

Layoffs in the mining, manufacturing, information, managing, administrative service, waste, and accomadations and food service industries.

AZ

+1,462

No comment.

OR

+1,348

Increase in initial claims are due layoffs in seasonal industries and occupations and processing claims from prior week when offices were closed due to Thanksgiving holiday.

LA

+1,343

No comment.

OH

+1,269

Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.

CT

+1,252

No comment.

IN

+1,246

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

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
December 13, 2012