News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 07-781-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 31, 2007
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending May 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 310,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 314,000. The 4-week moving average was 304,500, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average of 303,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending May 19, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 1.9 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 19 was 2,472,000, a decrease of 52,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,524,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,504,500, a decrease of 4,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,509,000.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 273,685 in the week ending May 26, an increase of 3,300 from the previous week. There were 292,714 initial claims in the comparable week in 2006.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.7 percent during the week ending May 19, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,239,440, a decrease of 90,226 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.7 percent and the volume was 2,197,167.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending May 12.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 868 in the week ending May 19, an increase of 98 from the prior week. There were 1,568 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 36 from the preceding week.

There were 11,964 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending May 12, an increase of 1,094 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 21,794, an increase of 41 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending May 12 were in Alaska (3.7 percent), Puerto Rico (3.2), Michigan (3.0), Pennsylvania (2.7), New Jersey (2.6), Oregon (2.5), Arkansas (2.4), California (2.4), Rhode Island (2.4), Massachusetts (2.3), and Wisconsin (2.3).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 19 were in North Carolina (+3,858), Missouri (+3,106), Arkansas (+1,301), South Carolina (+1,126), and Ohio (+833), while the largest decreases were in Oregon (-1,016), Wisconsin (-720), Tennessee (-595), Washington (-266), and Mississippi (-192).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING May 26 May 19 Change May 12 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 310,000 314,000 -4,000 296,000 328,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 273,685 270,385 +3,300 258,516 292,714
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 304,500 303,500 +1,000 306,250 331,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING May 19 May 12 Change May 5 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,472,000 2,524,000 -52,000 2,471,000 2,433,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,239,440 2,329,666 -90,226 2,290,364 2,197,167
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,504,500 2,509,000 -4,500 2,525,000 2,419,250
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 1.9% 1.9% 0.0 1.9% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 1.7% 1.8% -0.1 1.7% 1.7%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
May 19
May 12
Change
Year
Federal Employees 868 770 +98 945
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,568 1,532 +36 1,919
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
May 12
May 5
Change
Year
Federal Employees 11,964 10,870 +1,094 11,854
Newly Discharged Veterans 21,794 21,753 +41 26,096
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 0 0 0 4,119
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 131,660,675 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 05/19/2007 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
OR -1,016 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
SC +1,126 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
AR +1,301 Layoffs in the trade and service industries.
MO +3,106 Layoffs in the transportation, furniture, and service industries.
NC +3,858 Layoffs in the transportation equipment, lumber/wood, and trade industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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