Please note: As of January 20, 2021, information in some news releases may be out of date or not reflect current policies.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 September 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 309,000, an increase of 15,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 294,000. The 4-week moving average was 314,750, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week's revised average of 321,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent for the week ending September 7, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 7 was 2,787,000, a decrease of 28,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,815,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,885,000, a decrease of 54,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,939,000.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 271,747 in the week ending September 14, an increase of 42,262 from the previous week. There were 330,454 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent during the week ending September 7, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,505,514, a decrease of 13,496 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,519,010. A year earlier, the rate was 2.3 percent and the volume was 2,927,923.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending August 31 was 4,037,491, a decrease of 235,250 from the previous week. There were 5,173,597 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2012.

No state was triggered "on" the Extended Benefits program during the week ending August 31.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 927 in the week ending September 7, a decrease of 519 from the prior week. There were 2,073 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 124 from the preceding week.

There were 18,651 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending August 31, a decrease of 1,301 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 31,296, a decrease of 1,989 from the prior week.

States reported 1,454,824 persons claiming Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits for the week ending August 31, unchanged from the prior week. There were 2,162,532 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2012. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending September 7 were in Puerto Rico (4.0), New Jersey (3.5), Alaska (3.1), Connecticut (3.0), Pennsylvania (3.0), New Mexico (2.9), New York (2.7), Virgin Islands (2.7), Illinois (2.5), Oregon (2.4), and Rhode Island (2.4).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending September 7 were in Tennessee (+681), Oklahoma (+601), Mississippi (+298), Maine (+219), and South Carolina (+192), while the largest decreases were in California (-25,412), New York (-2,260), Florida (-1,808), Oregon (-1,738), and Pennsylvania (-1,295).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

WEEK ENDING

Advance Sept. 14

Sept. 7

Change

Aug. 31

Prior Year1

Initial Claims (SA)

309,000

294,000

+15,000

323,000

379,000

Initial Claims (NSA)

271,747

229,485

+42,262

269,209

330,454

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

314,750

321,750

-7,000

328,750

375,750

WEEK ENDING

Advance Sept. 7

Aug. 31

Change

Aug. 24

Prior Year1

Ins. Unemployment (SA)

2,787,000

2,815,000

-28,000

2,944,000

3,268,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)

2,505,514

2,519,010

-13,496

2,744,030

2,927,923

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)

2,885,000

2,939,000

-54,000

2,977,750

3,298,000

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2

2.1%

2.2%

-0.1

2.3%

2.6%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

1.9%

1.9%

0.0

2.1%

2.3%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Sept. 7

Aug. 31

Change

Prior Year1

Federal Employees

927

1,446

-519

962

Newly Discharged Veterans

2,073

2,197

-124

2,715

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

WEEK ENDING

Aug.31

Aug. 24

Change

Prior Year1

Regular State

2,514,667

2,736,806

-222,139

2,923,959

Federal Employees (UCFE)

18,651

19,952

-1,301

16,610

Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX)

31,296

33,285

-1,989

37,093

EUC 20083

1,454,824

1,454,824

2,162,532

Extended Benefits4

290

271

+19

2,407

State Additional Benefits 5

3,823

3,780

+43

5,583

STC / Workshare 6

13,940

23,823

-9,883

25,413

TOTAL

4,037,491

4,272,741

-235,250

5,173,597

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 129,827,178 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 paid, 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 SEPTEMBER 7, 2013

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

CA

-25,412

Decrease is due to Labor Day holiday and computer system updates.

NY

-2,260

Fewer layoffs in the transportation, health care and social assistance, and retail trade industries.

FL

-1,808

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

OR

-1,738

No comment.

PA

-1,295

Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing, retail trade, health care and social assistance, and construction.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

State

Change

State Supplied Comment

None

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
September 19, 2013