News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 04-1354-NAT
   
   
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 22, 2004
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending July 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 339,000, a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 350,000. The 4-week moving average was 336,750, a decrease of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average of 339,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending July 10, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.4 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 10 was 2,797,000, a decrease of 167,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,964,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,894,250, a decrease of 38,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,933,000.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 391,807 in the week ending July 17, a decrease of 52,393 from the previous week. There were 429,381 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent during the week ending July 10, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,903,256, an increase of 173,678 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.9 percent and the volume was 3,692,996.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending July 3.

6,171 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending July 3.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,027 in the week ending July 10, a decrease of 45 from the prior week. There were 1,985 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 16 from the preceding week.

There were 14,293 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending July 3, a decrease of 1,133 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 24,937, a decrease of 564 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 3 were in Puerto Rico (4.1 percent), Alaska (3.4), New Jersey (3.3), Oregon (3.2), Pennsylvania (3.2), Rhode Island (2.9), Massachusetts (2.8), Michigan (2.8), Arkansas (2.7), and Connecticut (2.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 10 were in Michigan (+28,118), Kentucky (+10,343), New York (+10,003), Indiana (+8,688), and North Carolina (+5,367), while the largest decreases were in New Jersey (-4,526), Massachusetts (-1,718), Connecticut (-1,694), Colorado (-479), and Rhode Island (-392).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING July 17  July 10 Change July 3 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 339,000 350,000 -11,000 309,000 394,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 391,807 444,200 -52,393 349,920 429,381
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 336,750 339,250 -2,500 335,750 414,750
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING July 10 July 3  Change June 26 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,797,000 2,964,000 -167,000 2,859,000 3,558,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,903,256 2,729,578 +173,678 2,741,743 3,692,996
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,894,250 2,933,000 -38,750 2,915,000 3,642,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.2% 2.4% -0.2 2.3% 2.8%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.3% 2.2% +0.1 2.2% 2.9%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
July 10
July 3
Change
Year
Federal Employees 2,027 2,072 -45 2,539
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,985 2,001 -16 1,469
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
July 3
June 26
Change
Year
Federal Employees 14,293 15,426 -1,133 15,804
Newly Discharged Veterans 24,937 25,501 -564 16,723
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 4 685 -681 14,470
Federal (TEUC) 6,171 7,256 -1,085 854,034
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 126,088,081 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 07/10/2004 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NJ -4,526 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
MA -1,718 No comment.
CT -1,694 No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
KS +1,024 Layoffs in the information, real estate, construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
LA +1,044 No comment.
AR +1,155 No comment.
OR +1,406 No comment.
IA +1,704 No comment.
TN +1,836 Layoffs in the transportation equipment, rubber/plastics, food, industrial machinery, and trade industries.
OK +1,853 No comment.
FL +1,854 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
TX +1,914 Layoffs in the trade, finance, and manufacturing industries.
OH +1,947 No comment.
SC +2,550 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MO +2,852 Layoffs in the furniture, service, and transportation industries.
AZ +3,622 No comment.
PA +3,655 Layoffs in the construction, fabricated metals, and service industries.
WI +5,043 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
NC +5,367 Layoffs in the apparel, rubber/plastics, transportation equipment, service, furniture, and industrial machinery industries.
IN +8,688 No comment.
NY +10,003 Layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
KY +10,343 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
MI +28,118 Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.


State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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