News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 06-292-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 23, 2006
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Feb.18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 278,000, a decrease of 20,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 298,000. The 4-week moving average was 281,750, a decrease of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average of 283,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending Feb. 11, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 1.9 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Feb. 11 was 2,495,000, an increase of 41,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,454,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,499,500, a decrease of 19,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,519,000.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 269,781 in the week ending Feb. 18, a decrease of 40,252 from the previous week. There were 303,814 initial claims in the comparable week in 2005.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending Feb. 11, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,026,527, an increase of 79,572 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.6 percent and the volume was 3,239,778.

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Extended benefits were available in Louisiana during the week ending Feb. 4.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,107 in the week ending Feb. 11, a decrease of 92 from the prior week. There were 2,100 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 19 from the preceding week.

There were 20,036 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Feb. 4, an increase of 458 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 29,732, a decrease of 94 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Feb. 4 were in Alaska (5.6 percent), Michigan (4.6), Pennsylvania (3.6), Wisconsin (3.6), Rhode Island (3.5), Mississippi (3.3), New Jersey (3.3), Puerto Rico (3.3), Idaho (3.2), Massachusetts (3.2), Oregon (3.2), and Vermont (3.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Feb. 11 were in Michigan (+8,011), California (+1,777), Indiana (+679), Alabama (+513), and Wisconsin (+397), while the largest decreases were in Georgia (-3,155), Virginia (-2,774), Missouri (-2,599), Pennsylvania (-1,850), and Illinois (-1,757).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Feb. 18 Feb. 11 Change Feb. 4 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 278,000 298,000 -20,000 278,000 309,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 269,781 310,033 -40,252 321,527 303,814
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 281,750 283,250 -1,500 276,750 309,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Feb. 11 Feb. 4 Change Jan. 28 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,495,000 2,454,000 +41,000 2,552,000 2,638,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,026,527 2,946,955 +79,572 3,074,888 3,239,778
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,499,500 2,519,000 -19,500 2,537,500 2,689,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 1.9% 1.9% 0.0 2.0% 2.1%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.4% 2.3% +0.1 2.4% 2.6%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Feb. 11
Feb. 4
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,107 1,199 -92 1,181
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,100 2,119 -19 1,829
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Feb. 4
Jan. 28
Change
Year
Federal Employees 20,036 19,578 +458 20,531
Newly Discharged Veterans 29,732 29,826 -94 27,188
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 4,000
Extended Benefits 2,902 3,747 -845 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 128,767,336 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 02/11/2006 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
GA -3,155 No comment.
VA -2,774 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, information, finance, and manufacturing industries.
MO -2,599 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, furniture, and trade industries.
PA -1,850 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
IL -1,757 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
MN -1,743 Fewer layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
OR -1,355 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
CA +1,777 Layoffs in the trade and service industries, and agriculture.
MI +8,011 Layoffs in the automobile industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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