News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 05-71-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), WEDNESDAY
Media Contact : January 19, 2005
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Jan. 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 319,000, a decrease of 48,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 367,000. The 4-week moving average was 341,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 344,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent for the week ending Jan. 8, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.1 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Jan. 8 was 2,694,000, an increase of 47,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,647,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,744,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,752,000.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 468,337 in the week ending Jan. 15, a decrease of 226,937 from the previous week. There were 490,763 initial claims in the comparable week in 2004.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent during the week ending Jan. 8, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,337,710, a decrease of 63,382 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.1 percent and the volume was 3,851,301.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending Jan. 1.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,712 in the week ending Jan. 8, an increase of 967 from the prior week. There were 2,292 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 793 from the preceding week.

There were 21,407 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Jan. 1, a decrease of 1,521 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 27,774, a decrease of 96 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Jan. 1 were in Alaska (6.0 percent), Pennsylvania (4.3), Wisconsin (4.3), Michigan (4.2), Idaho (4.0), Oregon (3.9), Rhode Island (3.8), New Jersey (3.7), Connecticut (3.6), Arkansas (3.5), and Massachusetts (3.5).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Jan. 8 were in New York (+15,397), Texas (+12,756), California (+12,043), North Carolina (+11,270), and Tennessee (+11,172), while the largest decreases were in Kentucky(-5,329), Massachusetts (-4,087), Wisconsin (-3,860), Iowa (-1,949), and Michigan (-935).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Jan. 15 Jan. 8 Change Jan. 1 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 319,000 367,000 -48,000 357,000 357,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 468,337 695,274 -226,937 541,225 490,763
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 341,000 344,000 -3,000 331,250 355,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Jan. 8 Jan. 1 Change Dec. 25 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,694,000 2,647,000 +47,000 2,856,000 3,186,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,337,710 3,401,092 -63,382 3,035,476 3,851,301
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,744,000 2,752,000 -8,000 2,774,250 3,246,250
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.1% 2.1% 0.0 2.3% 2.5%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.6% 2.7% -0.1 2.4% 3.1%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Jan. 8
Jan. 1
Change
Year
Federal Employees 2,712 1,745 +967 2,812
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,292 1,499 +793 2,504
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Jan. 1
Dec. 25
Change
Year
Federal Employees 21,407 22,928 -1,521 23,021
Newly Discharged Veterans 27,774 27,870 -96 26,575
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 6,000
Extended Benefits 2 6 -4 27,961
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 126,641,867 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 01/08/2005 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
KY -5,329 No comment.
MA -4,087 No comment.
WI -3,860 No comment.
IA -1,949 No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
ND +1,153 Increase due to the start of a new quarter of wage credits for benefit purposes.
ME +1,168 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
AK +1,327 No comment.
DE +1,474 No comment.
VA +1,541 Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, information, and manufacturing industries.
UT +1,585 No comment.
KS +1,709 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
AR +1,720 No comment.
LA +1,832 No comment.
MT +1,848 No comment.
MD +1,890 Layoffs in the transportation equipment and trade industries.
WV +1,934 No comment.
MS +2,005 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NV +2,115 No comment.
CO +2,384 No comment.
WA +2,403 No comment.
AZ +2,604 No comment.
CT +3,061 No comment.
MN +3,286 Layoffs in the construction industry.
OR +3,341 No comment.
OK +3,525 No comment.
SC +4,519 No comment.
FL +6,406 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
OH +7,083 No comment.

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STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
AL +7,272 Layoffs in the construction, service, and textile industries.
GA +8,054 Layoffs in the trade industry.
MO +9,106 Layoffs in the transportation, construction, and service industries.
PA +9,156 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
IL +9,721 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
TN +11,172 Layoffs in the industrial machinery, wood products, electrical equipment, apparel, and service industries.
NC +11,270 Layoffs in the textile, furniture, and transportation equipment industries.
CA +12,043 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
TX +12,756 Layoffs in the public administration, finance, and manufacturing industries.
NY +15,397 Layoffs in the construction, finance, insurance, and manufacturing industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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