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News Release

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending December 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 350,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 362,000. The 4-week moving average was 356,750, a decrease of 11,250 from the previous week's revised average of 368,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending December 15, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending December 15 was 3,206,000, a decrease of 32,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,238,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,219,000, a decrease of 24,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,243,750.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 440,887 in the week ending December 22, an increase of 39,458 from the previous week. There were 497,689 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent during the week ending December 15, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,254,214, an increase of 9,650 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.9 percent and the volume was 3,613,414.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending December 8 was 5,475,708, an increase of 73,279 from the previous week. There were 7,231,771 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2011.

Extended Benefits were only available in New York during the week ending December 8.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,680 in the week ending December 15, a decrease of 374 from the prior week. There were 2,574 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 257 from the preceding week.

There were 21,095 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending December 8, a decrease of 245 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 40,561, an increase of 1,081 from the prior week.

States reported 2,100,243 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending December 8, an increase of 3,698 from the prior week. There were 2,926,135 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 December 8 were in Alaska (6.2), New Jersey (3.9), Pennsylvania (3.8), Puerto Rico (3.7), California (3.5), Montana (3.5), Oregon (3.5), Connecticut (3.3), Nevada (3.3), Illinois (3.2), and Wisconsin (3.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending December 15 were in Florida (+5,080), Kentucky (+1,009), Mississippi (+651), Iowa (+646), and Indiana (+549), while the largest decreases were in California (-6,867), New Jersey (-5,101), Pennsylvania (-3,412), New York (-2,938) and Michigan (-2,889).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

WEEK ENDING

Advance Dec. 22

Dec. 15

Change

Dec. 8

Prior Year1

Initial Claims (SA)

350,000

362,000

-12,000

344,000

384,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

440,887

401,429

+39,458

429,188

497,689

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

356,750

368,000

-11,250

381,500

377,000

WEEK ENDING

Advance Dec. 15

Dec. 8

Change

Dec. 1

Prior Year1

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

3,206,000

3,238,000

-32,000

3,213,000

3,595,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

3,254,214

3,244,564

+9,650

3,174,709

3,613,414

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

3,219,000

3,243,750

-24,750

3,274,000

3,594,500

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

2.5%

2.5%

0.0

2.5%

2.8%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

2.5%

2.5%

0.0

2.5%

2.9%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 15

Dec. 8

Change

Prior Year1

Federal Employees

1,680

2,054

-374

1,877

Newly Discharged Veterans

2,574

2,831

-257

3,897

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 8

Dec. 1

Change

Prior Year1

Regular State

3,238,182

3,167,295

+70,887

3,612,199

Federal Employees (UCFE)

21,095

21,340

-245

30,508

Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX)

40,561

39,480

+1,081

43,254

EUC 20083

2,100,243

2,096,545

+3,698

2,926,135

Extended Benefits4

44,610

43,844

+766

571,848

State Additional Benefits 5

6,050

6,266

-216

4,739

STC / Workshare 6

24,967

27,659

-2,692

43,088

TOTAL

5,475,708

5,402,429

+73,279

7,231,771

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 12/15/2012

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

CA

-6,867

Fewer layoffs in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries.

NJ

-5,101

Fewer layoffs in the transportation and warehousing, manufacturing, trade, accommodation and food service, and healthcaare and social assistance industries.

PA

-3,412

Fewer layoffs in the construction, transportation, professional, and scientific and technoloigy industries.

NY

-2,938

Fewer layoffs in the food service, healthcare and social assistance and retail industries.

MI

-2,889

Fewer layoffs across all industries.

IL

-2,092

No comment.

NC

-1,937

Fewer layoffs in machinery manufacturing, electrical equipment, and accommodation and food service industries.

TX

-1,536

No comment

OH

-1,520

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

OR

-1416

No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

FL

+5,080

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

KY

+1,009

No comment.

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 27, 2012