News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 03-539
   
   
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 October 9, 2003
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending Oct. 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 382,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 405,000. The 4-week moving average was 393,500, a decrease of 11,500 from the previous week's revised average of 405,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending Sept. 27, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.9 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Sept. 27 was 3,642,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,649,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,634,500, a decrease of 2,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,636,500.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 332,645 in the week ending Oct. 4, an increase of 28,256 from the previous week. There were 365,613 initial claims in the comparable week in 2002.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending Sept. 27, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,982,415, a decrease of 20,459 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.3 percent and the volume was 2,954,225.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington during the week ending Sept. 20.

53 states reported that 832,295 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Sept. 20.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,414 in the week ending Sept. 27, a decrease of 101 from the prior week. There were 1,663 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 95 from the preceding week.

There were 20,085 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Sept. 20, an increase of 2,271 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 19,613, a decrease of 88 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Sept. 20 were in Puerto Rico (4.6 percent), Alaska (3.6), Oregon (3.5), Pennsylvania (3.3), California (3.2), Washington (3.2), New Jersey (3.0), Michigan (2.9), Connecticut (2.8), and Massachusetts (2.8).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Sept. 27 were in North Carolina (+4,931), Virginia (+4,597), Maryland (+1,855), South Carolina (+856), and Iowa (+546), while the largest decreases were in Michigan (-2,881), California (-2,009), Florida (-1,330), Texas (-986), and Kentucky (-873).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 4  Sept. 27 Change Sept. 20  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 382,000 405,000 -23,000 386,000 408,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 332,645 304,389 +28,256 300,813 365,613
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 393,500 405,000 -11,500 408,500 414,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Sept. 27 Sept. 20  Change Sept. 13 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,642,000 3,649,000 -7,000 3,599,000 3,612,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,982,415 3,002,874 -20,459 3,034,012 2,954,225
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,634,500 3,636,500 -2,000 3,626,000 3,604,750
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.9% 2.9% 0.0 2.8% 2.8%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.4% 2.4% 0.0 2.4% 2.3%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Sept. 27
Sept. 20
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,414 1,515 -101 1,443
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,663 1,758 -95 1,434
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Sept. 20
Sept. 13
Change
Year
Federal Employees 20,085 17,814 +2,271 18,590
Newly Discharged Veterans 19,613 19,701 -88 16,883
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 41,076 37,255 +3,821 11,979
Federal (TEUC) 832,295 814,898 +17,397 970,214
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.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 09/27/2003 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MI -2,881 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
CA -2,009 Fewer layoffs in the service, finance, insurance, and real estate industries.
FL -1,330 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
MD +1,855 Return to a normal five day workweek. An unspecified number of claims were Hurricane Isabel related.
VA +4,597 Return to a normal five day workweek. 2,500 claims were reported to be Hurricane Isabel related.
NC +4,931 Layoffs in the textile industry.


State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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