News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 06-214-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 : February 9, 2006
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Feb. 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 277,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 273,000. The 4-week moving average was 276,500, a decrease of 7,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 284,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.0 percent for the week ending Jan. 28, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 1.9 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Jan. 28 was 2,557,000, an increase of 60,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,497,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,538,750, a decrease of 33,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,572,500.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 320,001 in the week ending Feb. 4, an increase of 1,433 from the previous week. There were 347,391 initial claims in the comparable week in 2005.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending Jan. 28, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,081,639, an increase of 29,889 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.6 percent and the volume was 3,296,052.

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Extended benefits were available in Louisiana during the week ending Jan. 21.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,479 in the week ending Jan. 28, an increase of 240 from the prior week. There were 2,296 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 74 from the preceding week.

There were 21,236 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Jan. 21, an increase of 859 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 29,892, an increase of 632 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Jan. 21 were in Alaska (5.8 percent), Puerto Rico (5.0), Michigan (4.8), Rhode Island (3.7), Wisconsin (3.7), Mississippi (3.5), Pennsylvania (3.5), New Jersey (3.3), Oregon (3.3), Idaho (3.2), Massachusetts (3.2), and Vermont (3.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Jan. 28 were in Ohio (+2,760), Georgia (+2,634), New York (+1,391), South Carolina (+1,349), and Louisiana (+419), while the largest decreases were in Michigan (-4,503), Texas (-2,052), Virginia (-1,155), Oregon (-988), and California
(-867).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Feb. 4 Jan. 28 Change Jan. 21 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 277,000 273,000 +4,000 284,000 296,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 320,001 318,568 +1,433 317,926 347,391
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 276,500 284,250 -7,750 289,000 316,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Jan. 28 Jan. 21 Change Jan. 14 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,557,000 2,497,000 +60,000 2,573,000 2,711,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,081,639 3,051,750 +29,889 3,044,307 3,296,052
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,538,750 2,572,500 -33,750 2,621,000 2,724,250
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.0% 1.9% +0.1 2.0% 2.1%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.4% 2.4% 0.0 2.4% 2.6%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Jan. 28
Jan. 21
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,479 1,239 +240 1,451
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,296 2,370 -74 1,955
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Jan. 21
Jan. 14
Change
Year
Federal Employees 21,236 20,377 +859 21,913
Newly Discharged Veterans 29,892 29,260 +632 28,111
Railroad Retirement Board 4,000 4,000 0 4,000
Extended Benefits 3,861 3,945 -84 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 128,767,336 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 01/28/2006 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MI -4,503 No comment.
TX -2,052 No comment.
VA -1,155 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
SC +1,349 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NY +1,391 No comment.
GA +2,634 Layoffs in the textile and transportation equipment industries.
OH +2,760 No comment.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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