News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 08-1477-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 : October 23, 2008
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Oct. 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 478,000, an increase of 15,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 463,000. It is estimated that the effects of Hurricane Ike in Texas added approximately 12,000 claims to the total. The 4-week moving average was 480,250, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average of 484,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent for the week ending Oct. 11, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.8 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Oct. 11 was 3,720,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,726,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,680,000, an increase of 44,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,635,750.  

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 415,012 in the week ending Oct. 18, a decrease of 38,986 from the previous week. There were 307,675 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent during the week ending Oct. 11, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,128,523, an increase of 54,509 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.6 percent and the volume was 2,175,026.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska and Rhode Island during the week ending Oct 4.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,653 in the week ending Oct. 11, an increase of 9 from the prior week. There were 1,911 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 81 from the preceding week.

There were 13,534 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Oct. 4, an increase of 113 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 22,337, a decrease of 407 from the prior week.

States reported 1,095,178 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Oct. 4, a decrease of 290,197 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Oct. 4 were in Puerto Rico (5.1 percent), Nevada (3.3), Oregon (3.3), Michigan (3.2), California (3.1), New Jersey (3.1), South Carolina (3.1), Pennsylvania (2.9), Rhode Island (2.9), North Carolina (2.8), and the Virgin Islands (2.8).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Oct. 11 were in New York (+5,224), Michigan (+3,383), Florida (+3,007), California (+2,781), and South Carolina (+2,723), while the largest decreases were in Texas (-5,968), Ohio (-4,317), Alabama (-1,534), Louisiana (-828), and Delaware (-827).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 18 Oct. 11 Change Oct. 4 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 478,000 463,000 +15,000 481,000 333,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 415,012 453,998 -38,986 426,789 307,675
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 480,250 484,750 -4,500 483,500 327,750
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 11 Oct. 4 Change Sept. 27 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,720,000 3,726,000 -6,000 3,671,000 2,547,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,128,523 3,074,014 +54,509 3,057,698 2,175,026
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,680,000 3,635,750 +44,250 3,566,250 2,548,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.8% 2.8% 0.0 2.7% 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
Oct. 11
Oct. 4
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,653 1,644 +9 1,375
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,911 1,830 +81 1,841
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Oct. 4
Sept. 27
Change
Year
Federal Employees 13,534 13,421 +113 14,049
Newly Discharged Veterans 22,337 22,744 -407 21,843
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 1,236 1,140 +96 0
EUC 2008 1,095,178 1,385,375 -290,197 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 133,902,387 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 10/11/2008 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
TX -5,968 Fewer layoffs in the trade, finance, and manufacturing industries.
OH -4,317 No comment.
AL -1,534 Fewer layoffs in the rubber/plastics industry.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
OK +1,039 No comment.
PA +1,289 Layoffs in the wood products, industrial machinery, and transportation equipment industries.
GA +1,365 Layoffs in the service and transportation equipment industries.
WI +1,373 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
WA +1,714 Layoffs in the wood products, primary metals, trade, and service industries.
KS +1,793 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
NC +2,034 Layoffs in the transportation equipment, furniture, leather goods, and service industries.
IL +2,060 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
MO +2,211 Layoffs in the construction industry.
SC +2,723 Layoffs in the textile and industrial machinery industries.
CA +2,781 No comment.
FL +3,007 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries, and agriculture.
MI +3,383 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
NY +5,224 Layoffs in the construction, service, and transportation industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current


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