EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 03-19
   
   
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) 693-4676 January 16, 2003
 

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending Jan. 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 360,000, a decrease of 32,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 392,000. The 4-week moving average was 387,500, a decrease of 19,500 from the previous week's revised average of 407,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending Jan. 4, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.7 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Jan 4 was 3,293,000, a decrease of 136,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,429,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,399,250, a decrease of 47,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,446,250.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 717,098 in the week ending Jan. 11, an increase of 97,368 from the previous week. There were 799,246 initial claims in the comparable week in 2002.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent during the week ending Jan. 4, an increase of 0.3 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,451,779, an increase of 384,791 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.6 percent and the volume was 4,685,080.  

Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington during the week ending Dec. 28.

53 states reported that 804,019 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Dec. 28.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,866 in the week ending Jan. 4, an increase of 625 from the prior week. There were 1,106 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 303 from the preceding week.

There were 23,778 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 28, an increase of 3,961 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 20,313, an increase of 1,417 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Dec. 28 were in Alaska (6.5 percent), Oregon (5.7), Idaho (5.1), Wisconsin (5.1), Washington (5.0), Arkansas (4.6), Pennsylvania (4.4), Vermont (4.4), Puerto Rico (4.3), and Michigan (4.1).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Jan. 4 were in North Carolina (+38,752), New York (+28,247), South Carolina (+21,040), Tennessee (+16,452), and Georgia (+12,692), while the largest decreases were in Wisconsin (-21,189), Massachusetts (-12,919), Kentucky (-10,778), Michigan (-10,280), and Pennsylvania (-9,096).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Jan. 11 Jan. 4 Change Dec. 28  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 360,000 392,000 -32,000 409,000 408,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 717,098 619,730 +97,368 620,929 799,246
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 387,500 407,000 -19,500 420,000 410,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Jan. 4 Dec. 28  Change Dec. 21 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,293,000 3,429,000 -136,000 3,408,000 3,491,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 4,451,779 4,066,988 +384,791 3,428,329 4,685,080
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,399,250 3,446,250 -47,000 3,406,250 3,522,750
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.6% 2.7% -0.1 2.7% 2.7%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.5% 3.2% +0.3 2.7% 3.6%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING

Jan. 4 

Dec. 28 

Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,866 1,241 +625 1,804
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,106 803 +303 990
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING

Dec. 28 

Dec. 21 

Change
Year
Federal Employees 23,778 19,817 +3,961 20,608
Newly Discharged Veterans 20,313 18,896 +1,417 16,242
Railroad Retirement Board 5,000 5,000 0 7,000
Extended Benefits 16,341 16,042 +299 2
Federal (TEUC) 804,019 734,091 +69,928 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 126,949,730 as denominator.

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 01/04/2003

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
State Change State Supplied Comment
WI -21,189 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
MA -12,919 No comment.
KY -10,778 No comment.
MI -10,280 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
PA -9,096 Fewer layoffs in the construction, textile, and rubber/plastics industries.
KS -8,368 Fewer layoffs in the information, trade, transportation, and manufacturing industries.
IN -7,675 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
IA -7,465 No comment.
IL -7,063 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
TX -6,332 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries. 
MD -4,561 No comment.
AR -4,523 No comment.
NJ -4,097 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, communications, public utilities, and manufacturing industries.
OR -3,773 No comment.
VT -2,515 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
CA -2,100 Fewer layoffs in the motion picture and service industries.
MN -2,096 Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
WA -1,779 No comment.
NE -1,687 No comment.
NH -1,632 No comment.
ID -1,594 No comment.
OH -1,556 No comment.
NV -1,199 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000
FL +1,020 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries, and agriculture.
VA +2,444 Layoffs in the textile, apparel, and furniture industries.
CT +3,705 Layoffs in the transportation, trade, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
AL +8,514 Layoffs in the construction, textile, apparel, and service industries.
GA +12,692 Layoffs in the textile and carpets/rugs industries.
TN +16,452 Layoffs in the industrial machinery and electronic equipment industries.
SC +21,040 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NY +28,247 No comment.
NC +38,752 No comment.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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