News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 07-1626-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 : October 25, 2007
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Oct. 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 331,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 339,000. The 4-week moving average was 324,750, an increase of 7,750 from the previous week's revised average of 317,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending Oct. 13, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 1.9 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Oct. 13 was 2,530,000, an increase of 7,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,523,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,526,000, a decrease of 3,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,529,750.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 305,821 in the week ending Oct. 20, a decrease of 526 from the previous week. There were 291,372 initial claims in the comparable week in 2006.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.6 percent during the week ending Oct. 13, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,180,625, an increase of 84,148 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.6 percent and the volume was 2,116,794.

-more-

 

2

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

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,374 in the week ending Oct. 13, a decrease of 778 from the prior week. There were 1,840 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 142 from the preceding week.

There were 14,041 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Oct. 6, a decrease of 614 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 21,818, a decrease of 517 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Oct. 6 were in Puerto Rico (2.7 percent), Michigan (2.5), Alaska (2.4), New Jersey (2.3), Pennsylvania (2.3), Arkansas (2.2), Oregon (2.2), California (2.1), Rhode Island (2.1), Massachusetts (2.0), and South Carolina (2.0).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Oct. 13 were in Michigan (+5,720), Ohio (+2,523), Maryland (+2,150), Illinois (+1,639), and Florida (+1,582), while the largest decreases were in California (-4,917), Kentucky (-2,605), Missouri (-2,136), New York (-1,703), and New Jersey (-1,385).

-more-

 

3
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 20 Oct. 13 Change Oct. 6 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 331,000 339,000 -8,000 309,000 310,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 305,821 306,347 -526 298,317 291,372
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 324,750 317,000 +7,750 310,500 309,250
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 13 Oct. 6 Change Sept. 29 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,530,000 2,523,000 +7,000 2,515,000 2,436,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,180,625 2,096,477 +84,148 2,112,935 2,116,794
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,526,000 2,529,750 -3,750 2,534,000 2,437,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 1.9% 1.9% 0.0 1.9% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 1.6% 1.6% 0.0 1.6% 1.6%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Oct. 13
Oct. 6
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,374 2,152 -778 1,172
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,840 1,982 -142 1,796
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Oct. 6
Sept. 29
Change
Year
Federal Employees 14,041 14,655 -614 14,710
Newly Discharged Veterans 21,818 22,335 -517 24,945
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 0 0 0 3
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 132,623,886 as denominator.
-more-

 

4

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 10/13/2007 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
CA -4,917 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
KY -2,605 Fewer layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
MO -2,136 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NY -1,703 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NJ -1,385 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
VA -1,241 Fewer layoffs in the automobile, information, and manufacturing industries.
GA -1,023 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
SC +1,048 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
PA +1,205 Layoffs in the mining, nonmetallic mineral products, leather goods, and public administration industries.
IA +1,341 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NC +1,568 Layoffs in the transportation equipment, furniture, and lumber/wood industries.
FL +1,582 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
IL +1,639 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MD +2,150 Layoffs in the service industry.
OH +2,523 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
MI +5,720 Layoffs in the automobile industry.

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/