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News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 11-1222-NAT
   
   
Program Contacts: 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: (202) 693-4676 August 18, 2011
   

 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending August 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 408,000, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 399,000. The 4-week moving average was 402,500, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 406,00.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending August 6, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.9 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending August 6 was 3,702,000, an increase of 7,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,695,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,716,000, a decrease of 4,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,720,500.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 342,669 in the week ending August 13, a decrease of 11,739 from the previous week. There were 405,484 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent during the week ending August 6, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,535,364, a decrease of 45,069 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.4 percent and the volume was 4,281,074.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending July 30 was 7,336,178, a decrease of 143,737 from the previous week.

 

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Extended benefits were available in Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin during the week ending July 30.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 3,544 in the week ending August 6, an increase of 399 from the prior week. There were 2,954 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 303 from the preceding week.

There were 26,134 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending July 30, an increase of 1,408 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 37,627, a decrease of 641 from the prior week.

States reported 3,130,608 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending July 30, a decrease of 27,704 from the prior week. There were 4,694,058 claimants in the comparable week in 2010. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 30 were in Puerto Rico (4.7), Pennsylvania (4.3), California (3.9), New Jersey (3.9), Alaska (3.8) , Connecticut (3.8), Oregon (3.7), Rhode Island (3.7), Nevada (3.5) and Arizona (3.4).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending August 6 were in California (+7,848), Texas (+1,374), North Carolina (+1,176), Illinois (+988), and Massachusetts (+926) while the largest decreases were in Florida (-2,580), Puerto Rico (-1,705), Indiana (-900), Oregon (-544), and Kentucky (-487 ).

 

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
WEEK ENDING Advance August 13 August 6 Change July 30 Prior Year1
Initial Claims (SA) 408,000 399,000 +9,000 402,000 488,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 342,669 354,408 -11,739 341,103 405,484
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 402,500 406,000 -3,500 408,250 474,250
WEEK ENDING Advance August 6 July 30 Change July 23 Prior Year1
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,702,000 3,695,000 +7,000 3,748,000 4,487,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,535,364 3,580,433 -45,069 3,680,729 4,281,074
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,716,000 3,720,500 -4,500 3,734,000 4,507,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.9 2.9 0.0 3.0 3.5
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.8 2.8 0.0 2.9 3.4
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
August 6
July 30
Change
Prior Year1
Federal Employees 3,544 3,145 +399 4,101
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,954 2,651 +303 2,926
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
July 30
July 23
Change
Prior Year1
Regular State 3,570,120 3,670,074 -99,954 4,318,426
Federal Employees (UCFE) 26,134 24,726 +1,408 24,121
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 37,627 38,268 -641 42,626
EUC 20083 3,130,608 3,158,312 -27,704 4,694,058
Extended Benefits4 527,490 543,513 -16,023 825,095
State Additional Benefits 5 3,577 4,862 -1,285 3,911
STC / Workshare 6 40,622 40,160 +462 61,381
TOTAL 7,336,178 7,479,915 -143,737 9,969,618
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 125,807,389 as denominator.
3 - EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity. Tier-specific EUC data can be found here: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/docs/persons.xls
4 - Information on the EB program can be found here: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/extenben.asp
5 - Some states maintain additional benefit programs for those claimants who exhaust regular, extended and emergency benefits. Information on states that participate and the extent of benefits can be found starting on page 4-5 of this link: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf
6 - Information on STC/Worksharing can be found starting on page 4-9 of the following link: https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf

 

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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 08/06/2011 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
FL -2,580 Fewer layoffs in the agriculture, manufacturing, construction, service, and retail industries.
PR -1,705 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NC +1,176 Layoffs in the leather, furniture and fixtures, and service industries.
TX +1,374 Layoffs in the service, manufacturing, and transportation industries.
CA +7,848 Layoffs in the service industries.

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/