News Release
 

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 07-1304-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 : August 30, 2007
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Aug. 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 334,000, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 325,000. The 4-week moving average was 324,500, an increase of 6,250 from the previous week's revised average of 318,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.0 percent for the week ending Aug. 18, 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 Aug. 18 was 2,579,000, an increase of 13,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,566,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,561,000, an increase of 11,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,549,750.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 264,038 in the week ending Aug. 25, an increase of 6,572 from the previous week. There were 251,275 initial claims in the comparable week in 2006.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.8 percent during the week ending Aug. 18, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,375,170, a decrease of 39,533 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.7 percent and the volume was 2,268,911.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending Aug. 11.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,194 in the week ending Aug. 18, an increase of 1 from the prior week. There were 1,994 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 108 from the preceding week.

There were 14,248 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Aug. 11, a decrease of 93 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 21,379, an increase of 146 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Aug. 11 were in Puerto Rico (3.8 percent), New Jersey (3.0), Pennsylvania (2.9), Rhode Island (2.8), Michigan (2.7), Alaska (2.5), Massachusetts (2.5), Arkansas (2.4), Connecticut (2.4), and California (2.3).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Aug. 18 were in Michigan (+3,254), Florida (+1,304), North Carolina (+870), Virginia (+274), and Idaho (+237), while the largest decreases were in California (-3,983), Kentucky (-1,529), Puerto Rico (-1,443), Texas (-1,308), and Louisiana (-752).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Aug. 25 Aug. 18 Change Aug. 11 Year

Initial Claims (SA) 334,000 325,000 +9,000 323,000 318,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 264,038 257,466 +6,572 266,420 251,275
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 324,500 318,250 +6,250 312,750 317,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Aug. 18 Aug. 11 Change Aug. 4 Year

Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,579,000 2,566,000 +13,000 2,549,000 2,472,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,375,170 2,414,703 -39,533 2,409,122 2,268,911
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,561,000 2,549,750 +11,250 2,543,500 2,476,500

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.0% 1.9% +0.1 1.9% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
1.8% 1.8% 0.0 1.8% 1.7%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Aug. 18
Aug. 11
Change
Year

Federal Employees 1,194 1,193 +1 1,010
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,994 1,886 +108 1,984

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Aug. 11
Aug. 4
Change
Year

Federal Employees 14,248 14,341 -93 15,279
Newly Discharged Veterans 21,379 21,233 +146 25,898
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 0 0 0 30

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 132,170,980 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 08/18/2007 


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
CA -3,983 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, communications, and public utilities industries.
KY -1,529 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
PR -1,443 No comment.
TX -1,308 Fewer layoffs in the service, finance, and manufacturing industries.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
FL +1,304 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries, and agriculture.
MI +3,254 Layoffs in the automobile industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current


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