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News Release

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending September 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 305,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 310,000. The 4-week moving average was 308,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week's revised average of 315,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending September 14, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 14 was 2,823,000, an increase of 35,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,788,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,842,500, a decrease of 42,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,885,250.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 253,668 in the week ending September 21, a decrease of 19,250 from the previous week. There were 303,685 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent during the week ending September 14, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,464,570, a decrease of 41,762 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,506,332. A year earlier, the rate was 2.2 percent and the volume was 2,841,521.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending September 7 was 3,921,399, an increase of 22,769 from the previous week. There were 5,173,998 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2012.

No state was triggered "on" the Extended Benefits program during the week ending September 7.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,133 in the week ending September 14, an increase of 206 from the prior week. There were 2,155 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 82 from the preceding week.

There were 19,020 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending September 7, an increase of 369 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 31,341, an increase of 45 from the prior week.

States reported 1,348,526 persons claiming Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits for the week ending September 7, an increase of 32,563 from the prior week. There were 2,160,448 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 September 14 were in Puerto Rico (4.2), New Jersey (3.4), Alaska (3.3), Virgin Islands (3.1), Connecticut (2.9), New Mexico (2.9), Pennsylvania (2.8), Nevada (2.6), New York (2.6), and Illinois (2.5).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending September 14 were in California (+22,611), Florida (+3,946), Georgia (+2,690), Nevada (+2,504), and New York (+1,871), while the largest decreases were in Oklahoma (-439), Tennessee (-404), Kansas (-351), Massachusetts (-304), and Idaho (-294).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

WEEK ENDING

Advance Sept. 21

Sept. 14

Change

Sept. 7

Prior Year1

Initial Claims (SA)

305,000

310,000

-5,000

294,000

367,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

253,668

272,918

-19,250

229,485

303,685

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

308,000

315,000

-7,000

321,750

373,750

WEEK ENDING

Advance Sept. 14

Sept. 7

Change

Aug. 31

Prior Year1

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

2,823,000

2,788,000

+35,000

2,815,000

3,274,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

2,464,570

2,506,332

-41,762

2,519,010

2,841,521

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

2,842,500

2,885,250

-42,750

2,939,000

3,287,250

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

2.2%

2.1%

+0.1

2.2%

2.6%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

1.9%

1.9%

0.0

1.9%

2.2%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Sept. 14

Sept. 7

Change

Prior Year1

Federal Employees

1,133

927

+206

1,270

Newly Discharged Veterans

2,155

2,073

+82

2,910

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Sept. 7

Aug. 31

Change

Prior Year1

Regular State

2,500,851

2,514,667

-13,816

2,919,440

Federal Employees (UCFE)

19,020

18,651

+369

17,032

Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX)

31,341

31,296

+45

38,118

EUC 20083

1,348,526

1,315,963

+32,563

2,160,448

Extended Benefits4

297

290

+7

2,556

State Additional Benefits 5

4,142

3,823

+319

6,309

STC / Workshare 6

17,222

13,940

+3,282

30,095

TOTAL

3,921,399

3,898,630

+22,769

5,173,998

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 129,827,178 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 SEPTEMBER 14, 2013

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

+22,611

Increase reflects return to 5 day workweek and a full week of processing after computer system updates.

FL

+3,946

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

GA

+2,690

Layoffs in the manufacturing, trade, administrative and support services, and accommodations and food service industries.

NV

+2,504

Increase reflects processing of claims backlog after computer system conversion.

NY

+1,871

Layoffs in the public administration, construction, and food service industries.

TX

+1,281

No comment.

WA

+1,022

Layoffs in the manufacturing, retail trade, finance and insurance, and real estate and rental industries.

IN

+1,001

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

State Detail Prior WeekUI Claims Series 1967 to current

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Agency
Employment and Training Administration
Date
September 26, 2013