@media Print { .newhead { } .showme { DISPLAY: none } } @media Screen { .hidemore { DISPLAY: none } } P.breakhere { PAGE-BREAK-BEFORE: always }
News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 11-1279-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 September 1, 2011
   

 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending August 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 409,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 421,000. The 4-week moving average was 410,250, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average of 408,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending August 20, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate of 3.0 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending August 20 was 3,735,000, a decrease of 18,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,753,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,726,000, a decrease of 3,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,729,250.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 334,372 in the week ending August 27, a decrease of 10,498 from the previous week. There were 383,135 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent during the week ending August 20, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,462,574, a decrease of 95,108 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.3 percent and the volume was 4,125,414.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending August 13 was 7,336,276, an increase of 45,531 from the previous week.

 

2

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 August 13.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,743 in the week ending August 20, a decrease of 215 from the prior week. There were 2,742 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 203 from the preceding week.

There were 26,012 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending August 13, a decrease of 766 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 38,032, a decrease of 99 from the prior week.

States reported 3,118,042 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending August 13, an increase of 31,261 from the prior week. There were 4,556,751 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 August 13 were in Puerto Rico (5.2), Pennsylvania (4.2), New Jersey (3.9), Alaska (3.8) , California (3.8), Connecticut (3.8), Oregon (3.7), Rhode Island (3.7), Nevada (3.6) and Wisconsin (3.3).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending August 20 were in Pennsylvania (+1,904), Puerto Rico (+1,453), Oregon (+698), Rhode Island (+634), and California (+615) while the largest decreases were in Massachusetts (-1,627), South Carolina (-1,058), Georgia (-978), Nevada (-695), and Florida (-670 ).

 

3
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
WEEK ENDING Advance August 27 August 20 Change August 13 Prior Year1
Initial Claims (SA) 409,000 421,000 -12,000 412,000 468,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 334,372 344,870 -10,498 346,014 383,135
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 410,250 408,500 +1,750 403,500 475,750
WEEK ENDING Advance August 20 August 13 Change August 6 Prior Year1
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,735,000 3,753,000 -18,000 3,721,000 4,455,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,462,574 3,557,682 -95,108 3,553,649 4,125,414
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,726,000 3,729,250 -3,250 3,720,750 4,470,000
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.0 3.0 0.0 3.0 3.5
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.8 2.8 0.0 2.8 3.3
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
August 20
August 13
Change
Prior Year1
Federal Employees 1,743 1,958 -215 3,932
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,742 2,539 +203 2,719
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
WEEK ENDING
August 13
August 6
Change
Prior Year1
Regular State 3,545,680 3,541,748 +3,932 4,203,857
Federal Employees (UCFE) 26,012 26,778 -766 24,792
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 38,032 38,131 -99 41,153
EUC 20083 3,118,042 3,086,781 +31,261 4,556,751
Extended Benefits4 557,923 551,033 +6,890 900,769
State Additional Benefits 5 4,405 4,631 -226 3,952
STC / Workshare 6 46,182 41,643 +4,539 63,627
TOTAL 7,336,276 7,290,745 +45,531 9,794,901
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

 

4

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 08/20/2011 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MA -1,627 No comment.
SC -1,058 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
PR +1,453 No comment.
PA +1,904 Layoffs in the construction and 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/