Please note: As of January 20, 2021, information in some news releases may be out of date or not reflect current policies.
News Release
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Sept. 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 551,000, an increase of 17,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 534,000. The 4-week moving average was 548,000, a decrease of 6,250 from the previous week's revised average of 554,250.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.6 percent for the week ending Sept. 19, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 4.6 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Sept. 19 was 6,090,000, a decrease of 70,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 6,160,000. The 4-week moving average was 6,154,500, a decrease of 39,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 6,193,750.
The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 5.665 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 443,694 in the week ending Sept. 26, an increase of 5,878 from the previous week. There were 392,515 initial claims in the comparable week in 2008.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.8 percent during the week ending Sept. 19, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,054,617, a decrease of 169,287 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.3 percent and the volume was 3,018,976.
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 Mexico, 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. 12.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,455 in the week ending Sept. 19, an increase of 323 from the prior week. There were 2,296 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 367 from the preceding week.
There were 20,408 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Sept. 12, an increase of 1,202 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 30,689, an increase of 457 from the prior week.
States reported 3,275,213 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Sept. 12, an increase of 99,832 from the prior week. There were 1,559,198 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. 12 were in Puerto Rico (6.1 percent), Oregon (5.4), Nevada (5.3), Pennsylvania (5.3), California (4.9), Michigan (4.9), Wisconsin (4.8), New Jersey (4.7), North Carolina (4.7), Arkansas (4.6), and South Carolina (4.6).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Sept. 19 were in California (+5,112), Texas (+3,946), Florida (+2,348), Iowa (+2,013), and Illinois (+1,945), while the largest decreases were in Kansas (-1,545), Wisconsin (-1,258), Oregon (-833), Ohio (-804), and New York (-623).
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
| Advance |
|
|
| Prior1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WEEK ENDING | Sept. 26 | Sept. 19 | Change | Sept. 12 | Year |
Initial Claims (SA) | 551,000 | 534,000 | +17,000 | 550,000 | 490,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initial Claims (NSA) | 443,694 | 437,816 | +5,878 | 411,126 | 392,515 |
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) | 548,000 | 554,250 | -6,250 | 564,250 | 470,250 |
| Advance |
|
|
| Prior1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WEEK ENDING | Sept. 19 | Sept. 12 | Change | Sept. 5 | Year |
Ins. Unemployment (SA) | 6,090,000 | 6,160,000 | -70,000 | 6,265,000 | 3,637,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) | 5,054,617 | 5,223,904 | -169,287 | 5,300,249 | 3,018,976 |
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) | 6,154,500 | 6,193,750 | -39,250 | 6,189,500 | 3,568,500 |
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 | 4.6% | 4.6% | 0.0 | 4.7% | 2.7% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 | 3.8% | 3.9% | -0.1 | 4.0% | 2.3% |
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
|
|
|
| Prior1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
WEEK ENDING | Sept. 19 | Sept. 12 | Change | Year |
Federal Employees | 1,455 | 1,132 | +323 | 1,091 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Newly Discharged Veterans | 2,296 | 1,929 | +367 | 1,638 |
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
|
|
|
| Prior1 |
WEEK ENDING | Sept. 12 | Sept. 5 | Change | Year |
Federal Employees | 20,408 | 19,206 | +1,202 | 13,728 |
Newly Discharged Veterans | 30,689 | 30,232 | +457 | 22,119 |
Railroad Retirement Board | 10,000 | 10,000 | 0 | 3,000 |
Extended Benefits | 443,041 | 438,391 | +4,650 | 1,361 |
EUC 20083 | 3,275,213 | 3,175,381 | +99,832 | 1,559,198 |
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 09/19/2009
STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State | Change |
| State Supplied Comment |
KS | -1,545 |
| No comment. |
WI | -1,258 |
| Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries. |
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State | Change |
| State Supplied Comment |
KY | +1,202 |
| No comment. |
SC | +1,232 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
TN | +1,275 |
| Layoffs in the rubber/plastics, transportation equipment, industrial machinery, fabricated metals, and electrical equipment industries. |
NJ | +1,319 |
| Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries. |
AR | +1,336 |
| No comment. |
GA | +1,556 |
| Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries. |
NC | +1,773 |
| Layoffs in the textile, electrical equipment, electronic equipment, fabricated metals, chemical, and service industries. |
IL | +1,945 |
| Layoffs in the construction and trade industries. |
IA | +2,013 |
| Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. |
FL | +2,348 |
| Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries. |
TX | +3,946 |
| Return to a five day workweek, as well as layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries. |
CA | +5,112 |
| Return to a five day workweek, as well as layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and transportation industries, and agriculture. |
State Detail Prior WeekUI Claims Series 1967 to current
This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-693-4676. TDD Message Phone: 1-800-326-2577. News releases from the U.S. Department of Labor are accessible on the Internet at: http://www.dol.gov/ and http://www.ows.doleta.gov/