News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 08-1333-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 : September 25, 2008
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Sept. 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 493,000, an increase of 32,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 461,000. It is estimated that the effects of Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana and the effects of Hurricane Ike in Texas added approximately 50,000 claims to the total. The 4-week moving average was 462,500, an increase of 16,000 from the previous week's revised average of 446,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending Sept. 13, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.6 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Sept. 13 was 3,542,000, an increase of 63,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,479,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,489,250, an increase of 28,250 from the preceding week's unrevised average of 3,461,000.  

The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 3.042 million.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 395,601 in the week ending Sept. 20, an increase of 10,544 from the previous week. There were 247,643 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent during the week ending Sept. 13, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,014,605, a decrease of 54,090 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.6 percent and the volume was 2,160,459.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska and Rhode Island during the week ending Sept. 6.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,077 in the week ending Sept. 13, an increase of 135 from the prior week. There were 1,829 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 134 from the preceding week.

There were 13,371 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Sept. 6, a decrease of 31 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 21,903, an increase of 650 from the prior week.

States reported 1,056,924 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Sept. 6, a decrease of 337,405 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Sept. 6 were in Puerto Rico (4.9 percent), New Jersey (3.3), California (3.2), Michigan (3.2), Oregon (3.2), Nevada (3.1), Pennsylvania (3.1), South Carolina (3.1), Rhode Island (2.9), and Arkansas (2.8).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Sept. 13 were in Louisiana (+18,409), Florida (+4,863), California (+4,679), South Carolina (+2,562), and Kansas (+2,397), while the largest decreases were in Wisconsin (-2,373), Arkansas (-550), Indiana (-508), North Carolina (-479), and Iowa (-429).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Sept. 20 Sept. 13 Change Sept. 6 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 493,000 461,000 +32,000 445,000 309,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 395,601 385,057 +10,544 336,733 247,643
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 462,500 446,500 +16,000 440,000 317,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Sept. 13 Sept. 6 Change Aug. 30 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,542,000 3,479,000 +63,000 3,532,000 2,560,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,014,605 3,068,695 -54,090 3,059,126 2,160,459
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,489,250 3,461,000 +28,250 3,431,000 2,575,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.6% 2.6% 0.0 2.6% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.3% 2.3% 0.0 2.3% 1.6%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Sept. 13
Sept. 6
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,077 942 +135 1,034
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,829 1,695 +134 2,004
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Sept. 6
Aug. 30
Change
Year
Federal Employees 13,371 13,402 -31 13,620
Newly Discharged Veterans 21,903 21,253 +650 22,077
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 1,324 526 +798 5
EUC 2008 1,056,924 1,394,329 -337,405 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 133,690,617 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 09/13/2008 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
WI -2,373 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
TX +1,230 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
OH +1,245 No comment.
NY +1,391 Layoffs in the construction, service, and public administration industries.
KY +1,509 Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
VA +1,607 Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
OR +1,755 No comment.
IL +2,100 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
KS +2,397 No comment.
SC +2,562 Layoffs in the textile and industrial machinery industries.
CA +4,679 Layoffs in the construction and service industries.
FL +4,863 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
LA +18, 409 Claims were Hurricane Gustav related.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current


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