News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 06-1799-NAT
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Subri Raman (202) 693-3058 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Tony Sznoluch (202) 693-3176 8:30 A.M. (EDT), THURSDAY
Media Contact : October 19, 2006
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Oct. 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 299,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 309,000. The 4-week moving average was 307,750, a decrease of 5,750 from the previous week's revised average of 313,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending Oct. 7, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 1.9 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Oct. 7 was 2,453,000, an increase of 25,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,428,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,438,500, an increase of 250 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,438,250.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 270,944 in the week ending Oct. 14, a decrease of 36,682 from the previous week. There were 303,158 initial claims in the comparable week in 2005.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.6 percent during the week ending Oct. 7, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,035,643, a decrease of 3,893 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.8 percent and the volume was 2,343,807.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending Sept. 30.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,263 in the week ending Oct. 7, an increase of 1,077 from the prior week. There were 2,313 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 501 from the preceding week.

There were 14,877 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Sept. 30, an increase of 358 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 24,862, a decrease of 332 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Sept. 30 were in Puerto Rico (3.7 percent), Michigan (3.0), Alaska (2.7), New Jersey (2.4), Pennsylvania (2.3), Arkansas (2.2), Connecticut (2.0), Massachusetts (2.0), South Carolina (2.0), California (1.9), Oregon (1.9), and Rhode Island (1.9).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Oct. 7 were in Michigan (+4,411), Pennsylvania (+4,338), California (+4,161), Illinois (+3,200), and Kentucky (+3,092), while the largest decreases were in Missouri (-693), Indiana (-306), and Maine (-37).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 14 Oct. 7 Change Sept. 30 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 299,000 309,000 -10,000 304,000 343,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 270,944 307,626 -36,682 249,288 303,158
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 307,750 313,500 -5,750 314,000 362,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 7 Sept. 30 Change Sept. 23 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,453,000 2,428,000 +25,000 2,440,000 2,820,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,035,643 2,039,536 -3,893 2,056,523 2,343,807
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,438,500 2,438,250 +250 2,453,750 2,817,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 1.9% 1.9% 0.0 1.9% 2.2%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 1.6% 1.6% 0.0 1.6% 1.8%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Oct. 7
Sept. 30
Change
Year
Federal Employees 2,263 1,186 +1,077 2,329
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,313 1,812 +501 2,548
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Sept. 30
Sept. 23
Change
Year
Federal Employees 14,877 14,519 +358 15,215
Newly Discharged Veterans 24,862 25,194 -332 28,203
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 37 19 +18 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 130,605,286 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 10/07/2006 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
None    
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MD +1,230 No comment.
NJ +1,337 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
PR +1,370 No comment.
VA +1,495 Layoffs in the transportation, information, and manufacturing industries.
OR +1,600 No comment.
TX +1,637 Layoffs in the trade, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.
OH +1,686 No comment.
WI +1,783 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
WA +2,005 No comment.
AL +2,092 Layoffs in the industrial machinery, apparel, and wood products industries.
MN +2,139 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NY +2,296 Layoffs in the construction industry.
FL +2,449 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
GA +2,996 Layoffs in the textile industry.
KY +3,092 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
IL +3,200 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
CA +4,161 Layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
PA +4,338 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
MI +4,411 Layoffs in the automobile industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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