Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis Print This Page Print This Page  Decrease Text Size Increase Text Size Text Size  Email This Page E-mail This Page

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION

USDL 08-1696-NAT

 

 

 

 

Program Contact:

TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS

Scott Gibbons (202) 693-3008

RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL

Tony Sznoluch (202) 693-3176

8:30 A.M. (EST), THURSDAY

Media Contact :

November 20, 2008

(202) 693-4676

 

 

 

 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Nov. 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 542,000, an increase of 27,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 515,000. The 4-week moving average was 506,500, an increase of 15,750 from the previous week's revised average of 490,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending Nov. 8, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.9 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Nov. 8 was 4,012,000, an increase of 109,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,903,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,867,000, an increase of 71,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,795,750.  

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 511,941 in the week ending Nov. 15, a decrease of 26,717 from the previous week. There were 323,124 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent during the week ending Nov. 8, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,518,151, an increase of 60,257 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.7 percent and the volume was 2,293,829.

Extended benefits were available in North Carolina and Rhode Island during the week ending Nov. 1.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,477 in the week ending Nov. 8, an increase of 18 from the prior week. There were 1,732 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 124 from the preceding week.

There were 14,297 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Nov. 1, a decrease of 222 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 23,603, an increase of 160 from the prior week.

States reported 713,059 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Nov. 1, a decrease of 43,624 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Nov. 1 were in Puerto Rico (5.3 percent), Oregon (3.9), California (3.7), Nevada (3.7), Michigan (3.5), Alaska (3.4), Pennsylvania (3.4), South Carolina (3.4), New Jersey (3.3), Arkansas (3.2), and North Carolina (3.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Nov. 8 were in California (+15,532), North Carolina (+6,453), Tennessee (+5,067), New Jersey (+4,706), and New York (+3,680), while the largest decreases were in Kentucky (-1,562), Puerto Rico (-875), Delaware (-751), Maine (-349), and Rhode Island (-335).


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS


 

Advance

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Nov. 15

Nov. 8

Change

Nov. 1

Year


Initial Claims (SA)

542,000

515,000

+27,000

484,000

333,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

511,941

538,658

-26,717

466,341

323,124

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

506,500

490,750

+15,750

477,750

331,750

 

Advance

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Nov. 8

Nov. 1

Change

Oct. 25

Year


Ins. Unemployment (SA)

4,012,000

3,903,000

+109,000

3,832,000

2,580,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

3,518,151

3,457,894

+60,257

3,310,892

2,293,829

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

3,867,000

3,795,750

+71,250

3,751,250

2,588,750


Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

3.0%

2.9%

+0.1

2.9%

1.9%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

2.6%

2.6%

0.0

2.5%

1.7%


INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


 

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Nov. 8

Nov. 1

Change

Year


Federal Employees

1,477

1,459

+18

1,706

Newly Discharged Veterans

1,732

1,608

+124

1,829


PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


 

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Nov. 1

Oct. 25

Change

Year


Federal Employees

14,297

14,519

-222

14,237

Newly Discharged Veterans

23,603

23,443

+160

23,460

Railroad Retirement Board

3,000

3,000

0

3,000

Extended Benefits

94

111

-17

0

EUC 2008

713,059

756,683

-43,624

0


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 133,902,387 as denominator.

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 11/08/2008 


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 


State

Change

 

State Supplied Comment

KY

-1,562

 

Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.


STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 


State

Change

 

State Supplied Comment

AL

+1,048

 

Layoffs in the rubber/plastics industry.

IN

+1,121

 

Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.

IL

+1,175

 

Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.

GA

+1,204

 

Layoffs in the textile and transportation equipment industries.

KS

+1,623

 

Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.

FL

+1,925

 

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

NV

+2,681

 

No comment.

VA

+2,688

 

Layoffs in the trade and service industries.

OR

+2,751

 

No comment.

MI

+2,758

 

No comment.

WA

+2,800

 

Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.

PA

+2,918

 

Layoffs in the wood products, primary metals, and service industries.

MN

+2,948

 

No comment.

SC

+3,537

 

Layoffs in the textile and industrial machinery industries.

NY

+3,680

 

Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.

NJ

+4,706

 

Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, service, finance, insurance , and real estate industries.

TN

+5,067

 

Layoffs in the textile, rubber/plastics, industrial machinery, transportation equipment, and service industries.

NC

+6,453

 

Layoffs in the primary metals, furniture, transportation equipment, industrial machinery, construction, service, lumber/wood, and computer equipment industries.

CA

+15,532

 

No comment.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current