News Release
 

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 08-221-NAT
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Scott Gibbons (202) 693-3008 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Tony Sznoluch (202) 693-3176 8:30 A.M. (EST), THURSDAY
Media Contact : February 21, 2008
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Feb.16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 349,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 358,000. The 4-week moving average was 360,500, an increase of 10,750 from the previous week's revised average of 349,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent for the week ending Feb. 9, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.1 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Feb. 9 was 2,784,000, an increase of 48,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,736,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,752,500, an increase of 28,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,723,750.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 320,488 in the week ending Feb. 16, a decrease of 56,851 from the previous week. There were 305,945 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent during the week ending Feb. 9, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,313,467, a decrease of 13,743 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.3 percent and the volume was 2,994,128.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending Feb. 2.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,102 in the week ending Feb. 9, an increase of 52 from the prior week. There were 1,572 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 13 from the preceding week.

There were 18,647 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Feb. 2, an increase of 933 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 23,387, a decrease of 621 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Feb. 2 were in Alaska (5.2 percent), Michigan (4.4), Rhode Island (4.1), Idaho (4.0), Pennsylvania (4.0), Oregon (3.8), Wisconsin (3.8), Montana (3.5), New Jersey (3.5), and Massachusetts (3.4).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Feb. 9 were in California (+7,857), Kentucky (+4,166), Illinois (+1,955), Georgia (+1,009), and Massachusetts (+501), while the largest decreases were in Ohio (-2,752), Wisconsin (-2,232), North Carolina (-1,746), Pennsylvania (-1,608), and Florida (-1,410).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Feb. 16 Feb. 9 Change Feb. 2 Year

Initial Claims (SA) 349,000 358,000 -9,000 357,000 333,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 320,488 377,339 -56,851 380,138 305,945
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 360,500 349,750 +10,750 335,250 330,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Feb. 9 Feb. 2 Change Jan. 26 Year

Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,784,000 2,736,000 +48,000 2,780,000 2,497,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,313,467 3,327,210 -13,743 3,344,395 2,994,128
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,752,500 2,723,750 +28,750 2,726,500 2,506,750

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.1% 2.1% 0.0 2.1% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
2.5% 2.5% 0.0 2.5% 2.3%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Feb. 9
Feb. 2
Change
Year

Federal Employees 1,102 1,050 +52 1,247
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,572 1,585 -13 1,821

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Feb. 2
Jan. 26
Change
Year

Federal Employees 18,647 17,714 +933 20,671
Newly Discharged Veterans 23,387 24,008 -621 25,344
Railroad Retirement Board 4,000 4,000 0 4,000
Extended Benefits 0 0 0 1

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 133,010,953 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 02/09/2008 


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
OH -2,752 No comment.
WI -2,232 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
NC -1,746 Fewer layoffs in the construction, lumber/wood, stone/clay/glass, and fabricated metals industries.
PA -1,608 Fewer layoffs in the primary metals, utilities, furniture, and transportation equipment industries.
FL -1,410 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries, and agriculture.
AR -1,405 No comment.
NY -1,092 Fewer layoffs in the construction and service industries.
WA -1,073 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
GA +1,009 No comment.
IL +1,955 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
KY +4,166 Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
CA +7,857 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current


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