News Release
 

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 08-1822-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 : December 18, 2008
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Dec. 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 554,000, a decrease of 21,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 575,000. The 4-week moving average was 543,750, an increase of 2,750 from the previous week's revised average of 541,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.3 percent for the week ending Dec. 6, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.3 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Dec. 6 was 4,384,000, a decrease of 47,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,431,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,226,000, an increase of 92,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,134,000.  

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 626,943 in the week ending Dec. 13, a decrease of 132,588 from the previous week. There were 393,042 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.3 percent during the week ending Dec. 6, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,375,290, a decrease of 118,191 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.0 percent and the volume was 2,701,259.

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Extended benefits were available in North Carolina and Rhode Island during the week ending Nov. 29.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,055 in the week ending Dec. 6, an increase of 390 from the prior week. There were 2,090 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 839 from the preceding week.

There were 18,179 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Nov. 29, an increase of 2,524 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 26,307, an increase of 4,021 from the prior week.

States reported 933,652 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Nov. 29, an increase of 258,601 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Nov. 29 were in Oregon (5.6 percent), Alaska (5.3), Puerto Rico (5.2), Michigan (5.0), Wisconsin (4.8), Idaho (4.7), South Carolina (4.6), California (4.5), Nevada (4.5), Arkansas (4.4), and Pennsylvania (4.4).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 6 were in North Carolina (+26,596), California (+22,963), Georgia (+20,237), Pennsylvania (+20,090), and Tennessee (+12,170), while the largest decreases were in Wisconsin (-8,593), Iowa (-3,424), North Dakota (-895), Arkansas (-514), and Idaho (-320).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Dec. 13 Dec. 6 Change Nov. 29 Year

Initial Claims (SA) 554,000 575,000 -21,000 515,000 349,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 626,943 759,531 -132,588 535,730 393,042
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 543,750 541,000 +2,750 526,250 343,750
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Dec. 6 Nov. 29 Change Nov. 22 Year

Ins. Unemployment (SA) 4,384,000 4,431,000 -47,000 4,091,000 2,648,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 4,375,290 4,493,481 -118,191 3,652,990 2,701,259
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 4,226,000 4,134,000 +92,000 4,002,750 2,640,000

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.3% 3.3% 0.0 3.1% 2.0%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
3.3% 3.4% -0.1 2.7% 2.0%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Dec. 6
Nov. 29
Change
Year

Federal Employees 2,055 1,665 +390 1,604
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,090 1,251 +839 1,822

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Nov. 29
Nov. 22
Change
Year

Federal Employees 18,179 15,655 +2,524 16,409
Newly Discharged Veterans 26,307 22,286 +4,021 23,848
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 140 141 -1 0
EUC 2008 933,652 675,051 +258,601 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 12/06/2008 


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
WI -8,593 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
IA -3,424 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
KS +1,074 Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
PR +1,300 No comment.
WA +1,561 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
CT +1,755 Layoffs in the construction industry, and agriculture.
CO +1,794 No comment.
LA +1,833 No comment.
AZ +2,095 No comment.
WV +2,103 No comment.
NV +2,289 No comment.
MD +2,392 No comment.
OR +2,405 Layoffs in the trade, service, public administration, and manufacturing industries.
MS +2,737 Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
MA +3,610 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
MN +4,279 No comment.
OH +5,351 Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
FL +5,576 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
NJ +6,616 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
MO +7,261 Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
AL +7,886 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and wood products industries.
TX +9,098 Layoffs in the trade, service, transportation, and manufacturing industries.
VA +9,343 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MI +10,012 No comment.
IL +11,342 Layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.
NY +11,601 Layoffs in the construction, service, and transportation industries.
SC +12,068 Layoffs in the textile, apparel, industrial machinery, fabricated metals, and manufacturing industries.
TN +12,170 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.


STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
PA +20,090 Layoffs in the construction and transportation industries.
GA +20,237 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
CA +22,963 Layoffs in the service industry.
NC +26,596 Layoffs in the textile, furniture, lumber wood, fabricated metals, and transportation equipment industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current



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