News Release
 

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 10-64-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. (EST), THURSDAY
Media Contact : January 21, 2010
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Jan. 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 482,000, an increase of 36,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 446,000. The 4-week moving average was 448,250, an increase of 7,000 from the previous week's revised average of 441,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Jan. 9, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3.5 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Jan. 9 was 4,599,000, a decrease of 18,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,617,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,750,500, a decrease of 109,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,860,250.

The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 5.412 million.  

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 650,728 in the week ending Jan. 16, a decrease of 154,194 from the previous week. There were 763,987 initial claims in the comparable week in 2009.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.4 percent during the week ending Jan. 9, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 5,716,608, a decrease of 299,837 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.2 percent and the volume was 5,651,117.

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Extended benefits were available in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin during the week ending Jan. 2.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,459 in the week ending Jan. 9, an increase of 998 from the prior week. There were 2,497 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 1,043 from the preceding week.

There were 27,768 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Jan. 2, an increase of 1,856 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 36,855, an increase of 838 from the prior week.

States reported 5,654,544 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending Jan. 2, an increase of 652,364 from the prior week. There were 2,094,313 claimants in the comparable week in 2009. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Jan. 2 were in Oregon (7.3 percent), Wisconsin (7.2), Alaska (7.1), Pennsylvania (6.9), Idaho (6.8), Michigan (6.2), North Carolina (6.1), Montana (6.0), Puerto Rico (6.0), and Washington (6.0).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Jan. 9 were in California (+16,160), Texas (+15,892), Florida (+12,939), Pennsylvania (+12,562), and Georgia (+10,822), while the largest decreases were in Oregon (-5,784), Iowa (-4,450), Kentucky (-3,467), Michigan (-1,242), and Massachusetts (-1,085).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Jan. 16 Jan. 9 Change Jan. 2 Year

Initial Claims (SA) 482,000 446,000 +36,000 433,000 575,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 650,728 804,922 -154,194 645,446 763,987
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 448,250 441,250 +7,000 449,750 526,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Jan. 9 Jan. 2 Change Dec. 26 Year

Ins. Unemployment (SA) 4,599,000 4,617,000 -18,000 4,807,000 4,576,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 5,716,608 6,016,445 -299,837 5,484,997 5,651,117
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 4,750,500 4,860,250 -109,750 5,006,500 4,515,500

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.5% 3.5% 0.0 3.6% 3.4%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
4.4% 4.6% -0.2 4.2% 4.2%

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Jan. 9
Jan. 2
Change
Year

Federal Employees 2,459 1,461 +998 2,560
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,497 1,454 +1,043 2,322

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Jan. 2
Dec. 26
Change
Year

Federal Employees 27,768 25,912 +1,856 21,334
Newly Discharged Veterans 36,855 36,017 +838 27,040
Railroad Retirement Board 11,000 11,000 0 6,000
Extended Benefits 262,881 302,498 -39,617 3,103
EUC 20083 5,654,544 5,002,180 +652,364 2,094,313

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 130,128,328 as denominator.
3 - EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 01/09/2010 


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
OR -5,784 No comment.
IA -4,450 No comment.
KY -3,467 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MI -1,242 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MA -1,085 No comment.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
ND +1,037 No comment.
OK +1,086 No comment.
UT +1,198 No comment.
HI +1,206 No comment.
MT +1,352 No comment.
OH +1,410 Increase due to holiday shutdowns.
WV +1,564 No comment.
IN +1,999 Layoffs in the automobile, construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
LA +2,415 No comment.
NV +2,676 No comment.
AK +3,230 No comment.
NJ +3,389 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
CO +3,622 No comment.
MD +3,983 No comment.
AZ +4,003 No comment.
AL +4,209 No comment.
CT +4,513 Layoffs in the construction and trade industries.
MO +4,942 Layoffs in the construction and service industries.
KS +5,604 No comment.
NY +7,143 Figures are based on a six day processing week, as well as layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
TN +7,666 Layoffs in the service and manufacturing industries.
IL +8,038 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and manufacturing industries.
VA +8,268 Return to a five day workweek, as well as layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
SC +8,637 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

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STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NC +9,156 Layoffs in the textile, furniture, chemical, primary metals, and service industries.
GA +10,822 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
PA +12,562 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
FL +12,939 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
TX +15,892 Layoffs in the trade, service, real estate, and manufacturing industries.
CA +16,160 Return to a five day workweek, as well as layoffs in the construction and service industries.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current



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