EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 02-588
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Thomas Stengle (202) 693-2991 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Media Contact : 8:30 A.M. (EDT), THURSDAY
(202) 693-3900 October 17, 2002
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending Oct. 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 411,000, an increase of 22,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 389,000. The 4-week moving average was 408,750, a decrease of  4,750 from the previous week's revised average of 413,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending Oct. 5, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.8 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Oct. 5 was 3,755,000, an increase of 141,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,614,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,666,500, an increase of 42,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,624,000.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 383,449 in the week ending Oct. 12, an increase of 17,560 from the previous week. There were 426,880 initial claims in the comparable week in 2001.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending Oct. 5, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,026,529, an increase of 70,418 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.2 percent and the volume was 2,797,434.  

Extended benefits were available in Oregon and Washington during the week ending Sept. 28.

53 states reported that 851,857 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Sept. 28.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,178 in the week ending Oct. 5, an increase of 735 from the prior week. There were 1,728 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 294 from the preceding week.

There were 18,251 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Sept. 28, a decrease of 339 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 17,220, an increase of 337 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Sept. 28 were in Puerto Rico (5.5 percent), Alaska (3.8), the Virgin Islands (3.6), Oregon (3.4), Washington (3.3), California (3.2), Pennsylvania (3.1), New Jersey (3.0), Massachusetts (2.8), Arkansas (2.7), and Connecticut (2.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Oct. 5 were in California (+10,762), Pennsylvania (+3,815), Illinois (+3,383), New York (+2,427), and Georgia (+2,131), while the largest decreases were in Iowa (-1,057), Michigan (-564), Virginia (-392), Louisiana (-306), and Nevada (-127).


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 12  Oct. 5 Change Sept. 28  Year

Initial Claims (SA) 411,000 389,000 +22,000 424,000 471,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 383,449 365,889 +17,560 319,193 426,880
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 408,750 413,500 -4,750 424,500 477,250
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 5 Sept. 28  Change Sept. 21 Year

Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,755,000 3,614,000 +141,000 3,649,000 3,475,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,026,529 2,956,111 +70,418 2,988,181 2,797,434
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,666,500 3,624,000 +42,500 3,606,750 3,379,250

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.9% 2.8% +0.1 2.9% 2.7%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.4% 2.3% +0.1 2.3% 2.2%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING

Oct. 5 

Sept. 28 

Change
Year

Federal Employees 2,178 1,443 +735 1,899
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,728 1,434 +294 1,539

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1
WEEK ENDING

Sept. 28  

Sept. 21 

Change
Year

Federal Employees 18,251 18,590 -339 14,875
Newly Discharged Veterans 17,220 16,883 +337 14,933
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 12,603 11,979 +624 0
Federal (TEUC) 851,857 915,449 -63,592 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 127,388,117 as denominator.
 
 

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 10/05/2002


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State Change State Supplied Comment
IA -1,057 No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
MS +1,227 Layoffs in the furniture industry.
TX +1,296 Layoffs in the service, finance, and manufacturing industries.
MA +1,497 Layoffs in the construction and trade industries.
OR +1,497 No comment.
TN +1,818 Layoffs in the rubber/plastics, textile, electronic equipment, fabricated metals, and industrial machinery industries.
WI +1,858 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
OH +1,859 No comment.
WA +2,054 No comment.
AR +2,057 No comment.
GA +2,131 Layoffs in the textile industry.
NY +2,427 No comment.
IL +3,383 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
PA +3,815 Layoffs in the construction, primary metals, fabricated metals, industrial machinery, transportation, trade, and service industries.
CA +10,762 No comment.


UI Claims Series 1967 to current


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