News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 06-882-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 : May 25, 2006
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending May 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 329,000, a decrease of 40,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 369,000. The 4-week moving average was 337,000, an increase of 3,250 from the previous week's revised average of 333,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending May 13, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 1.8 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 13 was 2,420,000, an increase of 38,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,382,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,406,000, a decrease of 5,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,411,250.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 277,648 in the week ending May 20, a decrease of 32,601 from the previous week. There were 276,761 initial claims in the comparable week in 2005.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.7 percent during the week ending May 13, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,243,441, an increase of 15,899 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.9 percent and the volume was 2,398,134.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending May 6.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 907 in the week ending May 13, a decrease of 64 from the prior week. There were 1,934 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 439 from the preceding week.

There were 11,377 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending May 6, a decrease of 1,436 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 25,669, a decrease of 436 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending May 6 were in Alaska (4.2 percent), Michigan (3.1), Puerto Rico (2.9), Pennsylvania (2.6), New Jersey (2.5), Oregon (2.4), California (2.3), Massachusetts (2.2), Rhode Island (2.2), and Wisconsin (2.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 13 were in Puerto Rico (+26,578), Indiana (+2,951), North Carolina (+1,610), Illinois (+1,444), and Virginia (+1,424), while the largest decreases were in Iowa (-2,235), California (-1,974), Michigan (-1,893), New York (-908), and Pennsylvania (-740).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING May 20 May 13 Change May 6 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 329,000 369,000 -40,000 325,000 327,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 277,648 310,249 -32,601 284,635 276,761
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 337,000 333,750 +3,250 317,500 334,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING May 13 May 6 Change April 29 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,420,000 2,382,000 +38,000 2,381,000 2,595,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,243,441 2,227,542 +15,899 2,297,774 2,398,134
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,406,000 2,411,250 -5,250 2,422,500 2,608,250
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 1.9% 1.8% +0.1 1.8% 2.0%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 1.7% 1.7% 0.0 1.8% 1.9%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
May 13
May 6
Change
Year
Federal Employees 907 971 -64 876
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,934 2,373 -439 1,845
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
May 6
April 29
Change
Year
Federal Employees 11,377 12,813 -1,436 12,530
Newly Discharged Veterans 25,669 26,105 -436 26,760
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 5,297 3,272 +2,025 2,051
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 129,381,803 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 05/13/2006 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
IA -2,235 No comment.
CA -1,974 Fewer layoffs in the service industry, and agriculture.
MI -1,893 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
VA +1,424 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
IL +1,444 Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
NC +1,610 Layoffs in the trade, lumber/wood, apparel, and furniture industries.
IN +2,951 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
PR +26,578 Increase due to a partial government shutdown.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-693-4676. TDD Message Phone: 1-800-326-2577.  News releases from the U.S. Department of Labor are accessible on the Internet at: http://www.dol.gov/ and  https://oui.doleta.gov/