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News Release

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending January 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 330,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 335,000. The 4-week moving average was 351,750, a decrease of 8,250 from the previous week's revised average of 360,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending January 12, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending January 12 was 3,157,000, a decrease of 71,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,228,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,197,500, a decrease of 12,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,209,750.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 436,766 in the week ending January 19, a decrease of 119,944 from the previous week. There were 416,880 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent during the week ending January 12, 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 3,690,615, a decrease of 177,080 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.2 percent and the volume was 4,069,651.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending January 5 was 5,659,760, a decrease of 214,076 from the previous week. There were 7,670,108 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2012.

Extended Benefits were not available in any state during the week ending January 5.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,354 in the week ending January 12, an increase of 578 from the prior week. There were 3,037 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 659 from the preceding week.

There were 22,166 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending January 5, a decrease of 571 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 40,567, an increase of 1,425 from the prior week.

States reported 1,693,797 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending January 5, a decrease of 365,641 from the prior week. There were 2,922,533 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2012. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending January 5 were in Alaska (6.6), Pennsylvania (4.8), Puerto Rico (4.5), New Jersey (4.4), Oregon (4.3), Wisconsin (4.3), Connecticut (4.2), Michigan (4.2), Montana (4.2), and Rhode Island (4.1).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending January 12 were in Texas (+12,786), California (+10,232), Florida (+7,314), Indiana (+4,266), and New Jersey (+3,570), while the largest decreases were in New York (-27,487), Georgia (-7,520), North Carolina (-5,541), Alabama (-4,245), and Wisconsin (-3,183).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

WEEK ENDING

Advance Jan. 19

Jan. 12

Change

Jan. 5

Prior Year1

Initial Claims (SA)

330,000

335,000

-5,000

375,000

372,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

436,766

556,710

-119,944

557,798

416,880

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

351,750

360,000

-8,250

366,750

377,250

WEEK ENDING

Advance Jan. 12

Jan. 5

Change

Dec. 29

Prior Year1

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

3,157,000

3,228,000

-71,000

3,169,000

3,551,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

3,690,615

3,867,695

-177,080

3,730,146

4,069,651

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

3,197,500

3,209,750

-12,250

3,212,250

3,565,000

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

2.5%

2.5%

0.0

2.5%

2.8%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

2.9%

3.0%

-0.1

2.9%

3.2%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Jan. 12

Jan. 5

Change

Prior Year1

Federal Employees

2,354

1,776

+578

2,287

Newly Discharged Veterans

3,037

2,378

+659

3,044

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Jan. 5

Dec. 29

Change

Prior Year1

Regular State

3,857,246

3,725,033

+132,213

4,099,229

Federal Employees (UCFE)

22,166

22,737

-571

30,794

Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX)

40,567

39,142

+1,425

43,046

EUC 20083

1,693,797

2,059,438

-365,641

2,922,533

Extended Benefits4

1,197

1,143

+54

531,507

State Additional Benefits 5

5,709

5,095

+614

3,803

STC / Workshare 6

39,078

21,248

+17,830

39,196

TOTAL

5,659,760

5,873,836

-214,076

7,670,108

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 128,613,913 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 1/12/2012

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

NY

-27,487

Fewer layoffs in transportation, construction, and educational service industries.

GA

-7,520

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing, wholesale trade, and construction industries.

NC

-5,541

Fewer layoffs in the textile, business service, construction, electronic, rubber and plastic products, lumber and wood products, transportation and warehousing, food and kindred products,wholesale, and mining industries.

AL

-4,245

Fewer layoffs in the textile, construction, furniture and related products, and manufacturing industry.

WI

-3,183

No comment.

SC

-2,686

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

MI

-2,393

Fewer layoffs in the finance and insurance industry.

OH

-2,128

No comment.

MA

-1,767

Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and finance industries.

MN

-1,586

No comment.

IA

-1,186

Decline in initial claims due to decrease in temporary layoffs caused by holiday.

AR

-1,099

No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

TX

+12,786

No comment.

CA

+10,232

Layoffs in the service, agriculture, forestry, fishing industries.

FL

+7,314

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

IN

+4,266

Layoffs in the manufacturing, retail, and administrative and support service industries.

NJ

+3,570

Layoffs in the trade, healthcare and social assistance, and administrative support industries.

PR

+2,674

No comment.

NM

+2,125

No comment.

AK

+1,972

No comment.

CO

+1,762

No comment.

WV

+1,646

No comment.

AZ

+1,535

No comment.

IL

+1,521

Layoffs in the construction, administrative service, and manufacturing industries.

NV

+1,306

Increase is a result of processing claims from prior week due to the holiday.

LA

+1,230

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
January 24, 2013