News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 05-1756-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. (EDT), THURSDAY
Media Contact : September 22, 2005
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Sept. 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 432,000, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 424,000. The 4-week moving average was 376,250, an increase of 29,000 from the previous week's revised average of 347,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent for the week ending Sept. 10, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.0 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Sept. 10 was 2,666,000, an increase of 88,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,578,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,603,000, an increase of 23,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,579,250.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 343,793 in the week ending Sept. 17, an increase of 21,699 from the previous week. There were 275,846 initial claims in the comparable week in 2004.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.8 percent during the week ending Sept. 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 2,319,107, an increase of 102,366 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.0 percent and the volume was 2,475,605.

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

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,594 in the week ending Sept. 10, an increase of 499 from the prior week. There were 1,926 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 244 from the preceding week.

There were 15,243 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Sept. 3, a decrease of 1,759 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 27,767, a decrease of 1,353 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Sept. 3 were in Puerto Rico (3.4 percent), New Jersey (2.9), Alaska (2.8), Michigan (2.7), Pennsylvania (2.7), Oregon (2.5), Massachusetts (2.3), Connecticut (2.2), New York (2.2), and Rhode Island (2.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Sept. 10 were in Louisiana (+49,665), Mississippi (+5,177), Georgia (+3,782), Texas (+3,506), and Alabama (+2,719), while the largest decreases were in California (-2,842), Pennsylvania (-2,288), Ohio (-1,622), New Jersey (-1,537), and Iowa (-1,465).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Sept. 17 Sept. 10 Change Sept. 3 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 432,000 424,000 +8,000 327,000 350,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 343,793 322,094 +21,699 271,613 275,846
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 376,250 347,250 +29,000 321,000 340,750
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Sept. 10 Sept. 3 Change Aug. 27 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,666,000 2,578,000 +88,000 2,570,000 2,869,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,319,107 2,216,741 +102,366 2,323,719 2,475,605
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,603,000 2,579,250 +23,750 2,581,500 2,863,750
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.1% 2.0% +0.1 2.0% 2.3%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 1.8% 1.7% +0.1 1.8% 2.0%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Sept. 10
Sept. 3
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,594 1,095 +499 1,336
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,926 2,170 -244 1,951
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Sept. 3
Aug. 27
Change
Year
Federal Employees 15,243 17,002 -1,759 16,837
Newly Discharged Veterans 27,767 29,120 -1,353 26,205
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 1 1 0 0
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 127,622,590 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 09/10/2005 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
CA -2,842 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
PA -2,288 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and transportation industries.
OH -1,622 No comment.
NJ -1,537 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
IA -1,465 No comment.
MI -1,104 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
KY +1,148 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry. An unspecified number of claims were Hurricane Katrina related.
TN +1,416 Layoffs in the transportation equipment industry. An unspecified number of claims were Hurricane Katrina related.
AL +2,719 Layoffs in the service industry. Most claims were Hurricane Katrina related.
TX +3,506 Layoffs in the service, finance, and manufacturing industries. Most of the claims were Hurricane Katrina related.
GA +3,782 Layoffs in the automobile industry. An unspecified number of claims were Hurricane Katrina related.
MS +5,177 All claims were Hurricane Katrina related.
LA +49,665 Most claims were Hurricane Katrina related.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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