News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 08-1114-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 : August 7, 2008
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Aug. 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 455,000, an increase of 7,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 448,000. The 4-week moving average was 419,500, an increase of 26,750 from the previous week's revised average of 392,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending July 26, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.5 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 26 was 3,311,000, an increase of 31,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,280,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,201,000, an increase of 27,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,174,000.  

The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 2.975 million.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 381,529 in the week ending Aug. 2, an increase of 6,379 from the previous week. There were 270,563 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending July 26, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,175,663, a decrease of 35,404 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.9 percent and the volume was 2,445,524.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska and Rhode Island during the week ending July 19.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,071 in the week ending July 26, a decrease of 236 from the prior week. There were 1,428 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 224 from the preceding week.

There were 14,182 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending July 19, an increase of 1,363 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 20,897, an increase of 346 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 19 were in Puerto Rico (4.9 percent), Michigan (4.0), Rhode Island (3.5), New Jersey (3.4), Pennsylvania (3.4), Wisconsin (3.4), California (3.1), Oregon (3.1), Massachusetts (3.0), and South Carolina (3.0).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 26 were in Ohio (+4,634), California (+3,911), Illinois (+1,496), Oregon (+817), and West Virginia (+664), while the largest decreases were in Michigan (-7,492), Wisconsin (-6,835), North Carolina (-4,415), Puerto Rico (-3,972), and Indiana
(-3,792).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Aug. 2 July 26 Change July 19 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 455,000 448,000 +7,000 403,000 318,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 381,529 375,150 +6,379 411,408 270,563
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 419,500 392,750 +26,750 381,750 312,000
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING July 26 July 19 Change July 12 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,311,000 3,280,000 +31,000 3,097,000 2,553,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,175,663 3,211,067 -35,404 3,164,970 2,445,524
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,201,000 3,174,000 +27,000 3,131,750 2,549,750
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.5% 2.5% 0.0 2.3% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.4% 2.4% 0.0 2.4% 1.9%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
July 26
July 19
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,071 1,307 -236 1,151
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,428 1,652 -224 1,694
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
July 19
July 12
Change
Year
Federal Employees 14,182 12,819 +1,363 14,568
Newly Discharged Veterans 20,897 20,551 +346 21,377
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 1,483 1,777 -294 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 07/26/2008 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MI -7,492 No comment.
WI -6,835 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
NC -4,415 Fewer layoffs in the construction, transportation, transportation equipment, furniture, food, and textile industries.
PR -3,972 No comment.
IN -3,792 No comment.
TX -3,200 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
TN -2,619 Fewer layoffs in the apparel, transportation equipment, industrial machinery, rubber/plastics, and fabricated metals industries.
AL -2,290 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
VA -1,688 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NY -1,561 Fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and transportation industries.
GA -1,430 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
FL -1,400 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
LA -1,178 No comment.
PA -1,076 Fewer layoffs in the mining, primary metals, and manufacturing industries.
SC -1,046 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
IL +1,496 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
CA +3,911 Layoffs in the trade and service industries.
OH +4,634 Layoffs in the automobile industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current


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