News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 04-2525-NAT
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Subri Raman (202) 693-3058 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Tony Sznoluch (202) 693-3176 8:30 A.M. (EST), THURSDAY
Media Contact : December 23, 2004
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Dec. 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 333,000, an increase of 17,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 316,000. The 4-week moving average was 340,000, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 337,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending Dec. 11, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.2 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Dec. 11 was 2,721,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,730,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,739,000, a decrease of 5,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,744,500.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 376,611 in the week ending Dec. 18, an increase of 6,213 from the previous week. There were 424,192 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending Dec. 11, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,816,257, an increase of 138,461 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.7 percent and the volume was 3,393,846.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending Dec. 4.

569 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Dec. 4.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,895 in the week ending Dec. 11, a decrease of 358 from the prior week. There were 1,798 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 158 from the preceding week.

There were 19,762 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 4, a decrease of 2,371 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 27,224, a decrease of 3,161 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Dec. 4 were in Alaska (5.2 percent), Puerto Rico (3.4), Pennsylvania (3.3), Oregon (3.1), Arkansas (2.9), Idaho (2.9), Michigan (2.9), Washington (2.9), New Jersey (2.8), and California (2.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 11 were in Texas (+958), Maine (+218), Oklahoma (+70), Rhode Island (+54), and New Mexico (+11), while the largest decreases were in North Carolina (-15,924), New York (-10,988), Pennsylvania (-10,205), Georgia (-6,663), and Illinois (-5,557).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Dec. 18 Dec. 11 Change Dec. 4 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 333,000 316,000 +17,000 361,000 362,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 376,611 370,398 +6,213 472,656 424,192
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 340,000 337,750 +2,250 342,500 368,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Dec. 11 Dec. 4 Change Nov. 27 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,721,000 2,730,000 -9,000 2,787,000 3,273,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,816,257 2,677,796 +138,461 2,878,680 3,393,846
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,739,000 2,744,500 -5,500 2,757,250 3,323,750
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.2% 2.2% 0.0 2.2% 2.6%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.2% 2.1% +0.1 2.3% 2.7%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Dec. 11
Dec. 4
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,895 2,253 -358 1,751
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,798 1,956 -158 1,762
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Dec. 4
Nov. 27
Change
Year
Federal Employees 19,762 22,133 -2,371 20,994
Newly Discharged Veterans 27,224 30,385 -3,161 24,307
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 4,000
Extended Benefits 1 1 0 32,184
Federal (TEUC) 569 546 +23 807,205
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 126,276,799 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 12/11/2004 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NC -15,924 Fewer layoffs in the construction, textile, furniture, electronic equipment, and electrical equipment industries.
NY -10,988 No comment.
PA -10,205 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
GA -6,663 Fewer layoffs in the textile industry.
IL -5,557 No comment.
SC -4,600 Fewer layoffs in the textile industry.
CA -4,101 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
TN -3,809 Fewer layoffs in the industrial machinery, fabricated metals, rubber/plastics, paper, and apparel industries.
MO -3,061 Fewer layoffs in the construction industry.
VA -3,038 No comment.
MI -2,803 No comment.
WI -2,704 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
AR -2,459 No comment.
AL -2,356 Fewer layoffs in the construction and textile industries.
OH -2,228 No comment.
WA -2,023 No comment.
MS -1,906 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
FL -1,718 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
NJ -1,696 Fewer layoffs in the trade and manufacturing industries.
MN -1,645 Fewer layoffs in the construction industry.
KS -1,440 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MD -1,418 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
CO -1,165 No comment.
IN -1,108 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NV -1,046 No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
None    

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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