News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 04-61-NAT
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Thomas Stengle (202) 693-2991 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Media Contact : 8:30 A.M. (EST), THURSDAY
(202) 693-4676 January 22, 2004
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending Jan. 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 341,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 342,000. The 4-week moving average was 344,500, a decrease of 3,250 from the previous week's revised average of 347,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending Jan. 10, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.5 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Jan. 10 was 3,143,000, an increase of 17,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,126,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,210,250, a decrease of 22,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,233,000.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 487,333 in the week ending Jan. 17, a decrease of 190,318 from the previous week. There were 542,563 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.1 percent during the week ending Jan. 10, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,881,870, a decrease of 276,053 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.2 percent and the volume was 4,123,632.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington during the week ending Jan. 3.

53 states reported that 787,817 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Jan. 3.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,804 in the week ending Jan. 10, an increase of 900 from the prior week. There were 2,501 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 840 from the preceding week.

There were 22,933 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Jan. 3, a decrease of 2,235 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 26,459, an increase of 4 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Jan. 3 were in Alaska (6.3 percent), Michigan (5.3), Pennsylvania (5.3), Oregon (5.1), Idaho (5.0), Wisconsin (5.0), Washington (4.7), Connecticut (4.3), Massachusetts (4.3), New Jersey (4.2), Rhode Island (4.2), and South Carolina (4.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Jan. 10 were in California (+14,857), Texas (+13,685), Georgia (+13,253), Illinois (+11,356), and Tennessee (+10,125), while the largest decreases were in Kentucky (-4,223), New York (-4,160), Wisconsin (-2,740), Indiana (-1,292), and Michigan
(-851).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Jan. 17  Jan. 10 Change Jan. 3  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 341,000 342,000 -1,000 356,000 388,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 487,333 677,651 -190,318 552,810 542,563
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 344,500 347,750 -3,250 351,000 388,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Jan. 10 Jan. 3  Change Dec. 27 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,143,000 3,126,000 +17,000 3,278,000 3,361,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,881,870 4,157,923 -276,053 3,730,930 4,123,632
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,210,250 3,233,000 -22,750 3,278,500 3,417,750
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.5% 2.5% 0.0 2.6% 2.6%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.1% 3.3% -0.2 3.0% 3.2%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Jan. 10
Jan. 3
Change
Year
Federal Employees 2,804 1,904 +900 2,622
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,501 1,661 +840 1,896
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Jan. 3
Dec. 27
Change
Year
Federal Employees 22,933 25,168 -2,235 22,011
Newly Discharged Veterans 26,459 26,455 +4 20,618
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 7,000
Extended Benefits 27,961 23,661 +4,300 47,513
Federal (TEUC) 787,817 765,570 +22,247 511,416
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 126,250,343 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 01/10/2004 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
KY -4,223 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NY -4,160 No comment.
WI -2,740 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
IN -1,292 Fewer layoffs in the public administration and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
ME +1,321 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and textile industries.
LA +1,339 No comment.
MT +1,354 No comment.
CT +1,398 No comment.
MS +1,805 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MD +1,940 Layoffs in the trade and electrical equipment industries.
AZ +2,009 No comment.
WV +2,452 No comment.
CO +3,085 No comment.
VA +3,210 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MN +3,599 Layoffs in the construction industry.
AL +4,208 Layoffs in the transportation equipment, textile, apparel, rubber/plastics, and fabricated metals industries.
MO +4,982 Layoffs in the construction and transportation industries.
FL +5,100 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
NC +6,068 Layoffs in the textile, apparel, furniture, rubber/plastics, and transportation equipment industries.
OH +9,057 No comment.
PA +9,408 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
TN +10, 125 Layoffs in the transportation equipment, primary metals, fabricated metals, trade, and service industries.
IL +11,356 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
GA +13,253 Layoffs in the textile and mobile homes industries.
TX +13,685 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
CA +14,857 Layoffs in the service industry, and agriculture.


State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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