News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 11-1399-NAT
   
   
Program Contacts: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Scott Gibbons (202) 693-3008 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Tony Sznoluch (202) 693-3176 8:30 A.M. (EDT), THURSDAY
Media Contact: (202) 693-4676 September 29, 2011
   

 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending September 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 391,000, a decrease of 37,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 428,000. The 4-week moving average was 417,000, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average of 422,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending September 17, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 17 was 3,729,000, a decrease of 20,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,749,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,743,000, a decrease of 4,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,747,500.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 324,940 in the week ending September 24, a decrease of 28,880 from the previous week. There were 372,551 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent during the week ending September 17, a decrease of 0.1 percetage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,187,921, a decrease of 118,799 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.0 percent and the volume was 3,810,921.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending September 10 was 6,984,897, an increase of 95,242 from the previous week.

 

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Extended benefits were available in Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin during the week ending September 10.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,328 in the week ending September 17, an increase of 767 from the prior week. There were 2,903 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 411 from the preceding week.

There were 25,039 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending September 10, an increase of 1,517 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 38,362, an increase of 996 from the prior week.

States reported 3,036,635 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending September 10, an increase of 39,376 from the prior week. There were 3,965,778 claimants in the comparable week in 2010. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending September 10 were in Puerto Rico (4.5), Pennsylvania (3.9), Alaska (3.7), New Jersey (3.7), California (3.5), Nevada (3.4), Oregon (3.4), Connecticut (3.3), Arkansas (3.1), Rhode Island (3.1), and the Virgin Islands (3.1).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending September 17 were in New York (+4,389), Georgia (+3,038), Pennsylvania (+2,483), Texas (+2,077), and Ohio (+2,014) while the largest decreases were in Puerto Rico(-905), Oregon (-579), Maryland (-553), Kentucky (-501), and Nevada
(-423).

 

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
WEEK ENDING Advance Sept. 24 Sept. 17 Change Sept. 10 Prior Year1
Initial Claims (SA) 391,000 428,000 -37,000 432,000 450,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 324,940 353,820 -28,880 328,868 372,551
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 417,000 422,250 -5,250 420,500 454,500
WEEK ENDING Advance Sept. 17 Sept. 10 Change Sept. 3 Prior Year1
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,729,000 3,749,000 -20,000 3,755,000 4,462,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,187,921 3,306,720 -118,799 3,293,105 3,810,921
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,743,000 3,747,500 -4,500 3,748,500 4,488,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.0 3.0 0.0 3.0 3.5
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.5 2.6 -0.1 2.6 3.0
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
Sept. 17
Sept. 10
Change
Prior Year1
Federal Employees 2,328 1,561 +767 4,170
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,903 2,492 +411 2,811
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
Sept. 10
Sept. 3
Change
Prior Year1
Regular State 3,296,439 3,283,381 +13,058 3,915,029
Federal Employees (UCFE) 25,039 23,522 +1,517 29,784
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 38,362 37,366 +996 40,898
EUC 20083 3,036,635 2,997,259 +39,376 3,965,778
Extended Benefits4 543,870 507,700 +36,170 913,113
State Additional Benefits 5 4,511 4,160 +351 3,816
STC / Workshare 6 40,041 36,267 +3,774 61,657
TOTAL 6,984,897 6,889,655 +95,242 8,930,075
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 125,807,389 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.xls
4 - 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 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

 

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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 09/17/2011 

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 +1,068 Layoffs in the service industry.
FL +1,169 Layoffs in the agriculture,construction, manufacturing, trade, retail, and service industries.
TN +1,351 Layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries
CT +1,510 No comment.
OH +2,014 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
TX +2,077 Layoffs in the manufacturing and service industries.
PA +2,483 No comment.
GA +3,038 Layoffs in the manufacturing, service, and retail industries.
NY +4,389 Layoffs in the construction, retail, and service industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

 

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