News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 04-78-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 29, 2004
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending Jan. 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 342,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 343,000. The 4-week moving average was 346,000, an increase of 750 from the previous week's revised average of 345,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending Jan. 17, 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. 17 was 3,131,000, an increase of 11,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,120,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,164,000, a decrease of 40,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,204,750.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 386,263 in the week ending Jan. 24, a decrease of 104,269 from the previous week. There were 434,888 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent during the week ending Jan. 17, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,813,303, a decrease of 39,340 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.2 percent and the volume was 4,068,516.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington during the week ending Jan. 10.

53 states reported that 695,525 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Jan. 10.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,059 in the week ending Jan. 17, a decrease of 753 from the prior week. There were 2,249 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 255 from the preceding week.

There were 25,293 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Jan. 10, an increase of 2,351 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,226, an increase of 1,779 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Jan. 10 were in Alaska (6.9 percent), Oregon (5.2), Michigan (4.8), Puerto Rico (4.7), Washington (4.7), Idaho (4.6), Wisconsin (4.4), Pennsylvania (4.3), Montana (3.9), and New Jersey (3.9).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Jan. 17 were in Florida (+2,555), Oregon (+1,331), Puerto Rico (+1,006), Nevada (+296), and the District of Columbia (+50), while the largest decreases were in North Carolina (-16,649), Michigan (-14,779), Pennsylvania (-14,679), Georgia
(-14,344), and South Carolina (-11,472).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Jan. 24  Jan. 17 Change Jan. 10  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 342,000 343,000 -1,000 343,000 392,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 386,263 490,532 -104,269 677,897 434,888
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 346,000 345,250 +750 348,000 386,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Jan. 17 Jan. 10  Change Jan. 3 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,131,000 3,120,000 +11,000 3,127,000 3,329,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,813,303 3,852,643 -39,340 4,158,582 4,068,516
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,164,000 3,204,750 -40,750 3,233,250 3,383,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.5% 2.5% 0.0 2.5% 2.6%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 3.0% 3.1% -0.1 3.3% 3.2%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Jan. 17
Jan. 10
Change
Year
Federal Employees 2,059 2,812 -753 1,896
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,249 2,504 -255 1,649
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Jan. 10
Jan. 3
Change
Year
Federal Employees 25,293 22,942 +2,351 23,964
Newly Discharged Veterans 28,226 26,447 +1,779 21,273
Railroad Retirement Board 6,000 6,000 0 7,000
Extended Benefits 27,495 27,961 -466 18,506
Federal (TEUC) 695,525 787,817 -92,292 713,808
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 01/17/2004 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NC -16,649 Fewer layoffs in the rubber/plastics, lumber/wood, textile, furniture, fabricated metals, and trade industries.
MI -14,779 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
PA -14,679 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, construction, trade, and service industries.
GA -14,344 Fewer layoffs in the textile and manufacturing industries.
SC -11,472 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
TN -11,229 Fewer layoffs in the industrial machinery, food, apparel, furniture, service, and transportation industries.
NY -10,159 Decrease due to the return to work after school break.
WI -8,490 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
MO -6,944 Fewer layoffs in the transportation industry.
IL -6,942 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
AL -6,850 Fewer layoffs in the textile, apparel, wood products, and transportation equipment industries.
OH -6,611 No comment.
VA -6,198 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
IN -5,761 No comment.
MN -4,539 No comment.
NJ -3,365 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
MS -3,309 No comment.
IA -3,120 No comment.
MD -3,102 No comment.
WA -2,914 No comment.
AR -2,877 No comment.
CT -2,822 No comment.
KS -2,551 Fewer layoffs in the trade and manufacturing industries.
TX -2,455 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
ID -2,034 No comment.
KY -2,003 No comment.
AK -1,547 No comment.
MA -1,305 No comment.
DE -1,256 No comment.
CO -1,171 No comment.
NE -1,141 No comment.

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STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MT -1,078 No comment.
ND -1,071 No comment.
WV -1,011 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
PR +1,006 No comment.
OR +1,331 No comment.
FL +2,555 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.


State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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