News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 03-384
   
   
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 July 17, 2003
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending July 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 412,000, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 441,000. The 4-week moving average was 424,000, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 427,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending July 5, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.0 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 5 was 3,654,000, a decrease of 117,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,771,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,717,250, a decrease of 11,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,728,250.

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 548,603 in the week ending July 12, an increase of 66,182 from the previous week. There were 506,718 initial claims in the comparable week in 2002.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent during the week ending July 5, an increase of 0.3 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,639,783, an increase of 317,630 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.8 percent and the volume was 3,568,069.

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

53 states reported that 831,861 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending June 28.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,309 in the week ending July 5, an increase of 536 from the prior week. There were 1,159 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 42 from the preceding week.

There were 15,219 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending June 28, an increase of 1,104 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 16,457, an increase of 344 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending June 28 were in Alaska (4.3 percent), Oregon (4.2), Pennsylvania (3.9), Puerto Rico (3.9), California (3.5), Washington (3.5), Connecticut (3.3), Massachusetts (3.2), New Jersey (3.2), Arkansas (3.1), and Rhode Island (3.1).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 5 were in Michigan (+26,482), New York (+10,118), Indiana (+9,021), Wisconsin (+7,889), and Iowa (+5,112), while the largest decreases were in New Jersey (-2,280), South Carolina (-1,237), Massachusetts (-1,118), Georgia (-982), and Washington (-699).

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING July 12  July 5 Change June 28  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 412,000 441,000 -29,000 435,000 387,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 548,603 482,421 +66,182 393,858 506,718
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 424,000 427,500 -3,500 426,000 391,250
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING July 5 June 28  Change June 21 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,654,000 3,771,000 -117,000 3,728,000 3,561,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,639,783 3,322,153 +317,630 3,392,668 3,568,069
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,717,250 3,728,250 -11,000 3,730,250 3,618,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.9% 3.0% -0.1 2.9% 2.8%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.9% 2.6% +0.3 2.7% 2.8%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
July 5
June 28
Change
Year
Federal Employees 2,309 1,773 +536 2,022
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,159 1,201 -42 942
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
June 28
June 21
Change
Year
Federal Employees 15,219 14,115 +1,104 14,841
Newly Discharged Veterans 16,457 16,113 +344 12,953
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 13,919 14,827 -908 257
Federal (TEUC) 3 831,861 854,406 -22,545 1,058,670
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 126,541,290 as denominator.
3 - Prior year level based on the reports of 51 states.


UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 07/05/2003 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NJ -2,280 Fewer layoffs in the service, transportation, warehousing, and public administration industries.
SC -1,237 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MA -1,118 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
TX +1,571 Layoffs in the trade, transportation, public administration, and manufacturing industries.
TN +1,815 Layoffs in the industrial machinery, lumber/wood, primary metals, fabricated metals, and textile industries.
VA +1,875 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
OR +2,130 No comment.
CA +2,383 Layoffs in the service and public administration industries.
MO +3,696 Layoffs in the transportation, communications, public utilities, furniture, and service industries.
PA +3,980 Layoffs in the rubber/plastics, textile, food, industrial machinery, electrical equipment, primary metals, fabricated metals, and manufacturing industries.
AR +4,072 No comment.
IL +4,150 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
OH +4,998 No comment.
IA +5,112 No comment.
WI +7,889 Layoffs in the transportation, communications, public utilities, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
IN +9,021 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NY +10,118 Increase is seasonal, school closings related.
MI +26,482 Increase due to vacation shutdowns in the automobile and automobile related industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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