News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 05-1955-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 : October 13, 2005
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Oct. 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 389,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 391,000. The 4-week moving average was 395,750, a decrease of 8,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 404,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending Oct. 1, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.3 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Oct. 1 was 2,873,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,878,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,799,000, an increase of 73,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,725,250.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 378,980 in the week ending Oct. 8, an increase of 65,262 from the previous week. There were 338,711 initial claims in the comparable week in 2004.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent during the week ending Oct. 1, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,384,431, a decrease of 15,894 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.8 percent and the volume was 2,320,254.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending Sept. 24.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,176 in the week ending Oct. 1, a decrease of 142 from the prior week. There were 1,982 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 50 from the preceding week.

There were 15,742 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Sept. 24, an increase of 84 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,262, a decrease of 12 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Sept. 24 were in Louisiana (11.1 percent), Mississippi (6.0), Puerto Rico (5.2), Alaska (3.0), Michigan (2.5), New Jersey (2.4), Pennsylvania (2.4), Oregon (2.3), Arkansas (2.2), California (2.0), Connecticut (2.0), Massachusetts (2.0), and South Carolina (2.0).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Oct. 1 were in Texas (+17,931), Louisiana (+8,580), Kentucky (+1,362), Minnesota (+1,275), and Arkansas (+940), while the largest decreases were in Mississippi (-7,354), Michigan (-2,966), Georgia (-993), Nebraska (-587), and West Virginia
(-455).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 8 Oct. 1 Change Sept. 24 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 389,000 391,000 -2,000 368,000 344,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 378,980 313,718 +65,262 292,262 338,711
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 395,750 404,500 -8,750 388,500 347,750
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 1 Sept. 24 Change Sept. 17 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,873,000 2,878,000 -5,000 2,787,000 2,802,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,384,431 2,400,325 -15,894 2,349,781 2,320,254
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,799,000 2,725,250 +73,750 2,648,250 2,842,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.2% 2.3% -0.1 2.2% 2.2%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 1.9% 1.9% 0.0 1.8% 1.8%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Oct. 1
Sept. 24
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,176 1,318 -142 1,500
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,982 2,032 -50 2,239
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Sept. 24
Sept. 17
Change
Year
Federal Employees 15,742 15,658 +84 16,469
Newly Discharged Veterans 28,262 28,274 -12 27,130
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 0 0 0 1
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 128,182,010 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 10/01/2005 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MS -7,354 Increase in claims was Hurricane related.
MI -2,966 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MN +1,275 Layoffs in the transportation equipment industry.
KY +1,362 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
LA +8,580 Increase in claims was Hurricane related.
TX +17,931 Layoffs in the construction, public administration, and manufacturing industries. Increase in claims was Hurricane related.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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