News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 04-1417-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 29, 2004
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending July 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 345,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 341,000. The 4-week moving average was 336,250, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average of 337,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent for the week ending July 17, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.2 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 17 was 2,960,000, an increase of 174,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,786,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,889,750, an increase of 750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,889,000.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 314,797 in the week ending July 24, a decrease of 79,319 from the previous week. There were 348,382 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent during the week ending July 17, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,950,924, an increase of 58,979 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.8 percent and the volume was 3,541,796.

-more-

 

2

Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending July 10.

6,217 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending July 10.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,985 in the week ending July 17, a decrease of 55 from the prior week. There were 2,316 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 324 from the preceding week.

There were 16,924 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending July 10, an increase of 2,680 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 25,743, an increase of 852 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 10 were in Puerto Rico (4.2 percent), Alaska (3.6), New Jersey (3.3), Pennsylvania (3.3), Oregon (3.2), Rhode Island (3.1), Arkansas (2.9), Massachusetts (2.9), Michigan (2.9), California (2.8), Connecticut (2.8), and Wisconsin (2.8).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 17 were in Tennessee (+7,142), Missouri (+3,743), North Carolina (+3,529), South Carolina (+2,911), and Alabama (+2,892), while the largest decreases were in Michigan (-13,283), New York (-12,485), Kentucky (-10,909), Pennsylvania (-5,169), and Wisconsin (-4,934).

-more-

 

3
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING July 24  July 17 Change July 10 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 345,000 341,000 +4,000 350,000 394,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 314,797 394,116 -79,319 444,531 348,382
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 336,250 337,250 -1,000 339,250 406,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING July 17 July 10  Change July 3 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,960,000 2,786,000 +174,000 2,954,000 3,596,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,950,924 2,891,945 +58,979 2,720,765 3,541,796
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,889,750 2,889,000 +750 2,930,500 3,619,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.3% 2.2% +0.1 2.3% 2.8%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.3% 2.3% 0.0 2.2% 2.8%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
July 17
July 10
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,985 2,040 -55 1,784
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,316 1,992 +324 1,389
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
July 10
July 3
Change
Year
Federal Employees 16,924 14,244 +2,680 17,802
Newly Discharged Veterans 25,743 24,891 +852 17,198
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 2 4 -2 13,673
Federal (TEUC) 6,217 6,171 +46 836,911
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.
-more-

 

4

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 07/17/2004 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MI -13,283 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
NY -12,485 Fewer layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
KY -10,909 Fewer layoffs in the trade industry.
PA -5,169 Fewer layoffs in the trade and service industries.
WI -4,934 Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
AR -2,612 No comment.
CA -2,565 Fewer layoffs in the trade industry.
AZ -2,414 No comment.
TX -2,393 Fewer layoffs in the public administration, service, and manufacturing industries.
IN -1,965 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NJ -1,889 Fewer layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.
MA -1,829 No comment.
IA -1,468 No comment.
OK -1,437 No comment.
KS -1,385 Fewer layoffs in the information, transportation, and manufacturing industries.
MN -1,262 Fewer layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.
MD -1,217 Fewer layoffs in the textile and rubber/plastics industries.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
VA +1,099 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
GA +1,337 Layoffs in the textile industry
MS +1,526 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
AL +2,892 Layoffs in the apparel and wood products industries.
SC +2,911 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NC +3,529 Layoffs in the textile, apparel, furniture, lumber/wood, rubber/plastics, and fabricated metals industries.
MO +3,743 Layoffs in the transportation industry.
TN +7,142 Layoffs in the trade, service, transportation equipment, transportation, and lumber/wood industries.


State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-693-4676. TDD Message Phone: 1-800-326-2577.  News releases from the U.S. Department of Labor are accessible on the Internet at: http://www.dol.gov/ and  https://oui.doleta.gov/