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News Release

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Sept. 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 530,000, a decrease of 21,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 551,000. The 4-week moving average was 553,500, a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week's revised average of 564,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.6 percent for the week ending Sept. 12, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.7 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Sept. 12 was 6,138,000, a decrease of 123,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 6,261,000. The 4-week moving average was 6,187,250, a decrease of 1,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 6,188,500.

The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 5.651 million.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 434,358 in the week ending Sept. 19, an increase of 21,966 from the previous week. There were 398,070 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.9 percent during the week ending Sept. 12, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,204,972, a decrease of 91,789 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.3 percent and the volume was 3,014,874.

Extended benefits were available in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin during the week ending Sept. 5.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,141 in the week ending Sept. 12, a decrease of 401 from the prior week. There were 1,919 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 281 from the preceding week.

There were 19,192 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Sept. 5, a decrease of 1,233 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 30,213, a decrease of 51 from the prior week.

States reported 3,223,849 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Sept. 5, an increase of 82,364 from the prior week. There were 1,116,863 claimants in the comparable week in 2008. EUC weekly claims include both first and second tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Sept. 5 were in Puerto Rico (6.7 percent), Oregon (5.6), Nevada (5.4), Pennsylvania (5.4), Michigan (5.2), Wisconsin (4.9), California (4.8), New Jersey (4.8), Connecticut (4.7), North Carolina (4.7), and South Carolina (4.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Sept. 12 were in Wisconsin (+1,573), Oregon (+829), and Kansas(+677), while the largest decreases were in Texas (-4,623), Illinois (-4,217), Pennsylvania (-3,961), Michigan (-3,012), and Massachusetts (-2,389).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

Advance

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Sept. 19

Sept. 12

Change

Sept. 5

Year

Initial Claims (SA)

530,000

551,000

-21,000

557,000

485,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

434,358

412,392

+21,966

466,277

398,070

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

553,500

564,500

-11,000

571,750

460,250

Advance

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Sept. 12

Sept. 5

Change

Aug. 29

Year

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

6,138,000

6,261,000

-123,000

6,103,000

3,581,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

5,204,972

5,296,761

-91,789

5,437,541

3,014,874

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

6,187,250

6,188,500

-1,250

6,186,250

3,520,750

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

4.6%

4.7%

-0.1

4.6%

2.7%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

3.9%

4.0%

-0.1

4.1%

2.3%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Sept. 12

Sept. 5

Change

Year

Federal Employees

1,141

1,542

-401

1,081

Newly Discharged Veterans

1,919

2,200

-281

1,827

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1

WEEK ENDING

Sept. 5

Aug. 29

Change

Year

Federal Employees

19,192

20,425

-1,233

13,386

Newly Discharged Veterans

30,213

30,264

-51

21,920

Railroad Retirement Board

9,000

9,000

0

3,000

Extended Benefits

438,053

435,029

+3,024

1,472

EUC 20083

3,223,849

3,141,485

+82,364

1,116,863

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 133,078,480 as denominator. 3 - EUC weekly claims include both first and second tier activity.

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 09/12/2009

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

TX

-4,623

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

IL

-4,217

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

PA

-3,961

Fewer layoffs in the industrial machinery and service industries.

MI

-3,012

No comment.

MA

-2,389

Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.

FL

-2,378

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

KY

-2,328

No comment.

SC

-2,284

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

CA

-2,089

Fewer layoffs in the service industry.

GA

-1,983

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

NC

-1,933

Fewer layoffs in the paper, textile, primary metals, electrical equipment, and electronic equipment industries.

IA

-1,909

Fewer layoffs in the trade industry.

NY

-1,858

Fewer layoffs in the transportation and service industries.

IN

-1,777

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

OH

-1,759

Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.

CT

-1,639

No comment.

TN

-1,539

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

WA

-1,517

No comment.

MO

-1,487

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

AZ

-1,289

No comment.

LA

-1,022

No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

WI

+1,573

Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.

State Detail Prior WeekUI Claims Series 1967 to current

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Agency
Employment and Training Administration
Date
September 24, 2009