News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 05-1984-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 20, 2005
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Oct. 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 355,000, a decrease of 35,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 390,000. The 4-week moving average was 376,000, a decrease of 20,000 from the previous week's revised average of 396,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent for the week ending Oct. 8, 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 Oct. 8 was 2,894,000, an increase of 36,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,858,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,852,250, an increase of 59,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,793,250.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 301,498 in the week ending Oct. 15, a decrease of 78,406 from the previous week. There were 279,846 initial claims in the comparable week in 2004.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.8 percent during the week ending Oct. 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 2,369,928, a decrease of 2,224 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.8 percent and the volume was 2,293,444.

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

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,328 in the week ending Oct. 8, an increase of 1,151 from the prior week. There were 2,541 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 556 from the preceding week.

There were 15,209 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Oct. 1, a decrease of 535 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,201, a decrease of 62 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Oct. 1 were in Louisiana (10.8 percent), Mississippi (6.8), Puerto Rico (4.1), Alaska (3.2), Arkansas (2.4), New Jersey (2.4), Michigan (2.3), Pennsylvania (2.3), Oregon (2.2), Connecticut (2.0), Massachusetts (2.0), and South Carolina (2.0).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Oct. 8 were in Michigan (+5,287), California (+5,054), Pennsylvania (+4,894), Louisiana (+3,977), and Illinois (+3,928), while the largest decreases were in Minnesota (-467), Kentucky (-409), Maine (-256), Oklahoma (-204), and Alaska (-78).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 15 Oct. 8 Change Oct. 1 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 355,000 390,000 -35,000 391,000 335,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 301,498 379,904 -78,406 313,847 279,846
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 376,000 396,000 -20,000 404,500 344,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 8 Oct. 1 Change Sept. 24 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,894,000 2,858,000 +36,000 2,870,000 2,790,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,369,928 2,372,152 -2,224 2,393,581 2,293,444
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,852,250 2,793,250 +59,000 2,723,250 2,822,250
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.3% 2.2% +0.1 2.2% 2.2%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 1.8% 1.9% -0.1 1.9% 1.8%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Oct. 8
Oct. 1
Change
Year
Federal Employees 2,328 1,177 +1,151 2,445
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,541 1,985 +556 2,343
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Oct. 1
Sept. 24
Change
Year
Federal Employees 15,209 15,744 -535 17,534
Newly Discharged Veterans 28,201 28,263 -62 27,686
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 0 0 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 128,182,010 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 10/08/2005 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
None    
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
AL +1,027 Layoffs in the furniture industry.
NC +1,034 Layoffs in the furniture industry.
MO +1,042 Layoffs in the service industry.
AR +1,065 No comment.
NJ +1,143 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
NV +1,150 No comment.
VA +1,186 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
PR +1,223 No comment.
DE +1,530 No comment.
WI +1,734 Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
OH +1,854 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
TX +1,908 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries. An unspecified number of claims was Hurricane related.
MD +2,245 No comment.
OR +2,361 No comment.
WA +2,386 No comment.
FL +3,049 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
GA +3,414 Layoffs in the transportation equipment industry.
NY +3,491 No comment.
IL +3,928 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
LA +3,977 Increase in claims was Hurricane related
PA +4,894 Layoffs in the transportation equipment and service industries.
CA +5,054 Layoffs in the service industry, and agriculture.
MI +5,287 Layoffs in the automobile industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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