News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 11-4-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 : January 6, 2011
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Jan. 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 409,000, an increase of 18,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 391,000. The 4-week moving average was 410,750, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 414,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.3 percent for the week ending Dec. 25, 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. 25 was 4,103,000, a decrease of 47,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,150,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,122,500, a decrease of 2,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,125,250.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 577,279 in the week ending Jan. 1, an increase of 52,038 from the previous week. There were 645,446 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent during the week ending Dec. 25, an increase of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,390,661, an increase of 273,882 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.2 percent and the volume was 5,484,997.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending Dec. 18 was 8,765,952.

 

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Extended benefits were available in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, during the week ending Dec. 18.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,228 in the week ending Dec. 25, a decrease of 301 from the prior week. There were 1,836 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 660 from the preceding week.

There were 47,113 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 18, a decrease of 3,857 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 40,559, a decrease of 2,655 from the prior week.

States reported 3,577,663 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Dec. 18, a decrease of 133,625 from the prior week. There were 5,140,373 claimants in the comparable week in 2009. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Dec. 18 were in Alaska (6.6 percent), Puerto Rico (4.9), Idaho (4.6), Montana (4.5), Oregon (4.5), Nevada (4.4), Pennsylvania (4.4), Illinois (4.3), Wisconsin (4.3), California (4.1), and Rhode Island (4.1).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 25 were in California (+15,972), Wisconsin (+3,109), North Carolina (+2,992), Indiana (+2,896), and Massachusetts (+2,738), while the largest decreases were in Florida (-4,956), Texas (-3,904), Georgia (-3,089), Oklahoma (-2,133), and Illinois (-1,847).

 

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
WEEK ENDING Advance Jan. 1 Dec. 25 Change Dec. 18 Prior Year1
Initial Claims (SA) 409,000 391,000 +18,000 420,000 456,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 577,279 525,241 +52,038 495,548 645,446
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 410,750 414,250 -3,500 426,000 467,250
WEEK ENDING Advance Dec. 25 Dec. 18 Change Dec. 11 Prior Year1
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 4,103,000 4,150,000 -47,000 4,070,000 5,000,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 4,390,661 4,116,779 +273,882 4,179,504 5,484,997
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 4,122,500 4,125,250 -2,750 4,157,000 5,164,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.3% 3.3% 0.0 3.2% 3.8%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 3.5% 3.3% +0.2 3.3% 4.2%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
Dec. 25
Dec. 18
Change
Prior Year1
Federal Employees 2,228 2,529 -301 1,659
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,836 2,496 -660 1,392
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
Dec. 18
Dec. 11
Change
Prior Year1
Regular State 4,116,779 4,179,504 -62,725 5,069,258
Federal Employees (UCFE) 47,113 50,970 -3,857 25,805
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 40,559 43,214 -2,655 34,412
EUC 20083 3,577,663 3,711,288 -133,625 5,140,373
Extended Benefits4 929,570 819,269 +110,301 316,988
State Additional Benefits 5 6,980 6,678 +302 2,519
STC / Workshare 6 47,288 47,306 -18 82,070
TOTAL 8,765,952 8,858,229 -92,277 10,671,425
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 125,845,577 as denominator.
3 - EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity. Tier-specific EUC data can be found here: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/docs/persons.xls
4 - Information on the EB program can be found here: http://www.ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/extenben.asp
5 - Some states maintain additional benefit programs for those claimants who exhaust regular, extended and emergency benefits. Information on states that participate and the extent of benefits can be  found starting on page 4-5 of this link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf
6 - Information on STC/Worksharing can be found starting on page 4-9 of the following link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf

 

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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 12/25/2010 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
FL -4,956 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries, and agriculture.
TX -3,904 A shorter workweek, as well as fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
GA -3,089 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
OK -2,133 No comment.
IL -1,847 No comment.
AZ -1,280 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
KS +1,048 No comment.
RI +1,224 Layoffs in the transportation, service, and manufacturing industries.
ID +1,241 No comment.
NJ +1,258 Layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.
MI +1,388 No comment.
PA +1,458 Layoffs in the food, transportation, fabricated metals, and service industries.
AR +1,553 Layoffs in the transportation industry.
TN +1,707 Layoffs in the transportation, trade, and service industries.
MO +1,806 Layoffs in the service, transportation, and warehousing industries.
NY +2,029 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
KY +2,063 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
IA +2,219 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
MA +2,738 Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
IN +2,896 Layoffs in the automobile, transportation, service, and manufacturing industries.
NC +2,992 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, mining, textile, and stone/clay/glass industries.
WI +3,109 Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.
CA +15,972 Layoffs in the transportation, construction, service, and manufacturing industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

 

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