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Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION

USDL 08-1855-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), WEDNESDAY

Media Contact :

December 24, 2008

(202) 693-4676

 

 

 

 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Dec. 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 586,000, an increase of 30,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 556,000. The 4-week moving average was 558,000, an increase of 13,750 from the previous week's revised average of 544,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.3 percent for the week ending Dec. 13, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.3 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Dec. 13 was 4,370,000, a decrease of 17,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,387,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,319,750, an increase of 93,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,226,750.  

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 715,496 in the week ending Dec. 20, an increase of 85,629 from the previous week. There were 456,272 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.4 percent during the week ending Dec. 13, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,592,793, an increase of 214,520 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.1 percent and the volume was 2,813,055.

Extended benefits were available in North Carolina and Rhode Island during the week ending Dec. 6.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,199 in the week ending Dec. 13, an increase of 144 from the prior week. There were 2,056 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 34 from the preceding week.

There were 18,460 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 6, an increase of 281 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 24,744, a decrease of 1,563 from the prior week.

States reported 1,426,540 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Dec. 6, an increase of 492,078 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Dec. 6 were in Oregon (5.2 percent), Puerto Rico (5.2), Michigan (4.9), Idaho (4.7), Pennsylvania (4.7), Nevada (4.6), Wisconsin (4.3), South Carolina (4.2), California (4.1), Alaska (4.0), Arkansas (4.0), and New Jersey (4.0).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 13 were in Oklahoma (+1,590), Connecticut (+1,286), Illinois (+962), Maine (+707), and Utah (+402), while the largest decreases were in North Carolina (-20,526), California (-16,493), Pennsylvania (-12,438), Georgia (-12,053), and South Carolina (-8,432).


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS


 

Advance

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 20

Dec. 13

Change

Dec. 6

Year


Initial Claims (SA)

586,000

556,000

+30,000

575,000

353,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

715,496

629,867

+85,629

759,531

456,272

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

558,000

544,250

+13,750

541,000

344,750

 

Advance

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 13

Dec. 6

Change

Nov. 29

Year


Ins. Unemployment (SA)

4,370,000

4,387,000

-17,000

4,431,000

2,702,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

4,592,793

4,378,273

+214,520

4,493,526

2,813,055

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

4,319,750

4,226,750

+93,000

4,134,000

2,650,750


Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

3.3%

3.3%

0.0

3.3%

2.0%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

3.4%

3.3%

+0.1

3.4%

2.1%


INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


 

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 13

Dec. 6

Change

Year


Federal Employees

2,199

2,055

+144

1,748

Newly Discharged Veterans

2,056

2,090

-34

1,496


PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


 

 

 

 

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 6

Nov. 29

Change

Year


Federal Employees

18,460

18,179

+281

18,081

Newly Discharged Veterans

24,744

26,307

-1,563

24,563

Railroad Retirement Board

3,000

3,000

0

3,000

Extended Benefits

97

145

-48

0

EUC 2008

1,426,540

934,462

+492,078

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 12/13/2008 


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 


State

Change

 

State Supplied Comment

NC

-20,526

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction, textile, furniture, transportation equipment, fabricated metals, lumber/wood, and rubber/plastics industries.

CA

-16,493

 

Fewer layoffs in the service industry.

PA

-12,438

 

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

GA

-12,053

 

Fewer layoffs in the textile and manufacturing industries.

SC

-8,432

 

Fewer layoffs in the textile, apparel, and manufacturing industries.

WI

-7,499

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.

NY

-6,793

 

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

VA

-6,372

 

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

TN

-5,343

 

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

OR

-3,964

 

No comment.

AL

-3,673

 

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

MN

-3,651

 

No comment.

MO

-3,055

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.

OH

-2,916

 

No comment.

TX

-2,583

 

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

IN

-2,408

 

Fewer layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.

NJ

-2,388

 

Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.

WA

-2,247

 

No comment.

MS

-2,138

 

Fewer layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.

FL

-1,707

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.

KY

-1,205

 

Fewer layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.

AR

-1,176

 

No comment.

IA

-1,138

 

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

KS

-1,080

 

Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.


STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 


State

Change

 

State Supplied Comment

CT

+1,286

 

No comment.

OK

+1,590

 

No comment.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current