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News Release

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending Jan. 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 409,000, an increase of 18,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 391,000. The 4-week moving average was 410,750, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 414,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.3 percent for the week ending Dec. 25, 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. 25 was 4,103,000, a decrease of 47,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,150,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,122,500, a decrease of 2,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,125,250.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 577,279 in the week ending Jan. 1, an increase of 52,038 from the previous week. There were 645,446 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent during the week ending Dec. 25, an increase of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,390,661, an increase of 273,882 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.2 percent and the volume was 5,484,997.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending Dec. 18 was 8,765,952.

Extended benefits were available in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, 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, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, during the week ending Dec. 18.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,228 in the week ending Dec. 25, a decrease of 301 from the prior week. There were 1,836 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 660 from the preceding week.

There were 47,113 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 18, a decrease of 3,857 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 40,559, a decrease of 2,655 from the prior week.

States reported 3,577,663 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Dec. 18, a decrease of 133,625 from the prior week. There were 5,140,373 claimants in the comparable week in 2009. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Dec. 18 were in Alaska (6.6 percent), Puerto Rico (4.9), Idaho (4.6), Montana (4.5), Oregon (4.5), Nevada (4.4), Pennsylvania (4.4), Illinois (4.3), Wisconsin (4.3), California (4.1), and Rhode Island (4.1).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 25 were in California (+15,972), Wisconsin (+3,109), North Carolina (+2,992), Indiana (+2,896), and Massachusetts (+2,738), while the largest decreases were in Florida (-4,956), Texas (-3,904), Georgia (-3,089), Oklahoma (-2,133), and Illinois (-1,847).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

WEEK ENDING

Advance Jan. 1

Dec. 25

Change

Dec. 18

Prior Year1

Initial Claims (SA)

409,000

391,000

+18,000

420,000

456,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

577,279

525,241

+52,038

495,548

645,446

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

410,750

414,250

-3,500

426,000

467,250

WEEK ENDING

Advance Dec. 25

Dec. 18

Change

Dec. 11

Prior Year1

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

4,103,000

4,150,000

-47,000

4,070,000

5,000,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

4,390,661

4,116,779

+273,882

4,179,504

5,484,997

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

4,122,500

4,125,250

-2,750

4,157,000

5,164,000

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

3.3%

3.3%

0.0

3.2%

3.8%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

3.5%

3.3%

+0.2

3.3%

4.2%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 25

Dec. 18

Change

Prior Year1

Federal Employees

2,228

2,529

-301

1,659

Newly Discharged Veterans

1,836

2,496

-660

1,392

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Dec. 18

Dec. 11

Change

Prior Year1

Regular State

4,116,779

4,179,504

-62,725

5,069,258

Federal Employees (UCFE)

47,113

50,970

-3,857

25,805

Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX)

40,559

43,214

-2,655

34,412

EUC 20083

3,577,663

3,711,288

-133,625

5,140,373

Extended Benefits4

929,570

819,269

+110,301

316,988

State Additional Benefits 5

6,980

6,678

+302

2,519

STC / Workshare 6

47,288

47,306

-18

82,070

TOTAL

8,765,952

8,858,229

-92,277

10,671,425

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 125,845,577 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.xls4 - 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

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 12/25/2010

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

FL

-4,956

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

TX

-3,904

A shorter workweek, as well as fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.

GA

-3,089

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

OK

-2,133

No comment.

IL

-1,847

No comment.

AZ

-1,280

No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

KS

+1,048

No comment.

RI

+1,224

Layoffs in the transportation, service, and manufacturing industries.

ID

+1,241

No comment.

NJ

+1,258

Layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.

MI

+1,388

No comment.

PA

+1,458

Layoffs in the food, transportation, fabricated metals, and service industries.

AR

+1,553

Layoffs in the transportation industry.

TN

+1,707

Layoffs in the transportation, trade, and service industries.

MO

+1,806

Layoffs in the service, transportation, and warehousing industries.

NY

+2,029

Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.

KY

+2,063

Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

IA

+2,219

Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.

MA

+2,738

Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, construction, service, and manufacturing industries.

IN

+2,896

Layoffs in the automobile, transportation, service, and manufacturing industries.

NC

+2,992

Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, mining, textile, and stone/clay/glass industries.

WI

+3,109

Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.

CA

+15,972

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

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/

Agency
Employment and Training Administration
Date
January 6, 2011