News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 08-962-NAT
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Scott Gibbons (202) 693-3008 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Tony Sznoluch (202) 693-3176 8:30 A.M. (EDT), THURSDAY
Media Contact : July 17, 2008
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending July 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 366,000, an increase of 18,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 348,000. The 4-week moving average was 376,500, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average of 381,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent for the week ending July 5, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.4 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 5 was 3,122,000, a decrease of 81,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,203,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,142,750, an increase of 16,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,126,250.  

The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 2.934 million.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 475,954 in the week ending July 12, an increase of 74,349 from the previous week. There were 383,839 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent during the week ending July 5, an increase of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,125,165, an increase of 267,660 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.0 percent and the volume was 2,581,098.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska during the week ending June 28.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,394 in the week ending July 5, a decrease of 29 from the prior week. There were 1,362 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 251 from the preceding week.

There were 11,460 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending June 28, a decrease of 260 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 19,021, a decrease of 196 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending June 28 were in Puerto Rico (4.9 percent), Pennsylvania (3.2), Rhode Island (3.2), New Jersey (3.1), Alaska (3.0), Oregon (3.0), Michigan (2.9), California (2.8), Connecticut (2.8), Massachusetts (2.8), and Nevada (2.8).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 5 were in Michigan (+20,085), Ohio (+6,993), Wisconsin (+5,854), New York (+5,715), and Indiana (+3,711), while the largest decreases were in New Jersey (-5,765), California (-4,578), Massachusetts (-3,668), Texas (-2,356), and Florida
(-1,762).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING July 12 July 5 Change June 28 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 366,000 348,000 +18,000 404,000 309,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 475,954 401,605 +74,349 368,544 383,839
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 376,500 381,000 -4,500 390,500 312,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING July 5 June 28 Change June 21 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,122,000 3,203,000 -81,000 3,111,000 2,561,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,125,165 2,857,505 +267,660 2,855,557 2,581,098
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,142,750 3,126,250 +16,500 3,109,500 2,541,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.3% 2.4% -0.1 2.3% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.3% 2.1% +0.2 2.1% 2.0%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
July 5
June 28
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,394 1,423 -29 1,935
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,362 1,613 -251 1,473
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
June 28
June 21
Change
Year
Federal Employees 11,460 11,720 -260 11,723
Newly Discharged Veterans 19,021 19,217 -196 20,334
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 1,726 1,201 +525 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 133,690,617 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 07/05/2008 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NJ -5,765 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, trade, service, and public administration industries.
CA -4,578 Fewer layoffs in the construction and trade industries.
MA -3,668 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, service, and public administration industries.
TX -2,356 Fewer layoffs in the mining, finance, service, and manufacturing industries.
FL -1,762 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
CT -1,304 No comment.
IA -1,118 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
GA +1,749 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
IL +1,836 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
OR +1,978 No comment.
AR +2,077 Layoffs in the service industry.
IN +3,711 Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
NY +5,715 Layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
WI +5,854 Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries.
OH +6,993 No comment.
MI +20,085 Layoffs in the automobile and transportation equipment industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current


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