News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 08-681-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. (EDT), THURSDAY
Media Contact : May 22, 2008
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending May 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 365,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 374,000. The 4-week moving average was 372,250, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's revised average of 367,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent for the week ending May 10, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.3 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 10 was 3,073,000, unchanged from the preceding week's revised level of 3,073,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,052,000, an increase of 31,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,020,250.  

The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 2,848,932.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 317,542 in the week ending May 17, a decrease of 7,867 from the previous week. There were 270,446 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent during the week ending May 10, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,851,525, an increase of 5,506 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.8 percent and the volume was 2,329,671.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending May 3.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 775 in the week ending May 10, a decrease of 148 from the prior week. There were 1,443 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 57 from the preceding week.

There were 11,168 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending May 3, a decrease of 1,104 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 20,281, a decrease of 666 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending May 3 were in Puerto Rico (4.1 percent), Alaska (4.0), Michigan (3.5), Oregon (3.3), California (3.0), New Jersey (2.9), Pennsylvania (2.9), Rhode Island (2.9), Nevada (2.8), Vermont (2.7), and Wisconsin (2.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 10 were in Michigan (+6,637), North Carolina (+3,344), Georgia (+2,202), Mississippi (+1,804), and Louisiana (+1,489), while the largest decreases were in New York (-15,244), Kentucky (-4,391), Wisconsin (-1,514), Pennsylvania (-1,149), and Oregon (-1,144).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING May 17 May 10 Change May 3 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 365,000 374,000 -9,000 368,000 311,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 317,542 325,409 -7,867 335,547 270,446
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 372,250 367,250 +5,000 367,500 304,750
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING May 10 May 3 Change April 26 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,073,000 3,073,000 0 3,032,000 2,513,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,851,525 2,846,019 +5,506 2,956,644 2,329,671
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,052,000 3,020,250 +31,750 3,001,750 2,507,750
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.3% 2.3% 0.0 2.3% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.1% 2.1% 0.0 2.2% 1.8%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
May 10
May 3
Change
Year
Federal Employees 775 923 -148 770
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,443 1,386 +57 1,532
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
May 3
April 26
Change
Year
Federal Employees 11,168 12,272 -1,104 10,870
Newly Discharged Veterans 20,281 20,947 -666 21,753
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 0 0 0 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 133,382,559 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 05/10/2008 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NY -15,244 Fewer layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
KY -4,391 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
WI -1,514 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
PA -1,149 Fewer layoffs in the food, leather goods, utilities, and real estate industries.
OR -1,144 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
AL +1,036 Layoffs in the textile and food industries.
FL +1,389 Layoffs in the trade and service industries, and agriculture.
LA +1,489 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
MS +1,804 No comment.
GA +2,202 Layoffs in the textile and manufacturing industries.
NC +3,344 Layoffs in the trade, transportation equipment, textile, leather goods, and lumber/wood industries.
MI +6,637 Layoffs in the automobile industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current


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