Jobless Claims Up Slightly to 418,000 for the Week

Washington, DC…In the week ending July 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claimswas 418,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 408,000. The 4-week moving average was 421,250, a decrease of 2,750 from the previous week’s revised average of 424,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week ending July 9, a 0.1 percentage point decrease from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 3.0 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 9 was 3,698,000, a decrease of 50,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 3,748,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,720,500, a decrease of 4,000 from the preceding week’s revised average of 3,724,500.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 464,865 in the week ending July 16, a decrease of 9,022 from the previous week. There were 502,065 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent during the week ending July 9, a 0.2 percentage point increase from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,761,025, an increase of 226,332 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.6 percent and the volume was 4,562,782.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending July 2 was 7,325,198, a decrease of 159,696 from the previous week.

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, and West Virginia during the week ending July 2.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,563 in the week ending July 9, an increase of 528 from the prior week. There were 2,445 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 255 from the preceding week.

There were 24,220 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending July 2, an increase of 712 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 36,263, a decrease of 916 from the prior week.

States reported 3,153,982 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending July 2, a decrease of 80,133 from the prior week. There were 3,509,073 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 2 were in Puerto Rico (4.9), Pennsylvania (4.1), Alaska (3.9), New Jersey (3.8), Oregon (3.8), Connecticut (3.7), Nevada (3.5), Rhode Island (3.5), California (3.4), Arizona (3.3), and Illinois (3.3).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 9 were in New York (+20,599), Minnesota (+9,681), Michigan (+9,030), Florida (+7,544), and Ohio (+5,839) while the largest decreases were in California (-15,751), New Jersey (-7,486), Massachusetts (-3,008), Illinois (-1,399), and Connecticut (-1,316).


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
 


WEEK ENDING Advance July 16 July 9 Change July 2 Prior Year1

Initial Claims (SA) 418,000 408,000 +10,000 427,000 466,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 464,865 473,887 -9,022 425,640 502,065
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 421,250 424,000 -2,750 427,000 459,500
 
WEEK ENDING Advance July 9 July 2 Change June 25 Prior Year1

Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,698,000 3,748,000 -50,000 3,712,000 4,482,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,761,025 3,534,693 +226,332 3,555,831 4,562,782
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,720,500 3,724,500 -4,000 3,713,000 4,544,500

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.9 3.0 -0.1 3.0 3.5
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
3.0 2.8 +0.2 2.8 3.6

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
 


WEEK ENDING

July 9

July 2

Change

Prior Year1

Federal Employees 2,563 2,035 528 3,200
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,445 2,700 -255 2,702

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
 


WEEK ENDING

July 2

June 25

Change

Prior Year1

Regular State 3,524,618 3,542,791 -18,173 4,368,213
Federal Employees (UCFE) 24,220 23,508 712 19,854
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 36,263 37,179 -916 38,448
EUC 20083 3,153,982 3,234,115 -80,133 3,509,073
Extended Benefits4 543,712 596,711 -52,999 462,815
State Additional Benefits 5 5,028 5,396 -368 6,040
STC / Workshare 6 37,375 45,194 -7,819 64,745
TOTAL 7,325,198 7,484,894 -159,696 8,469,188

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: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/docs/persons.xls
4 – Information on the EB program can be found here: http://www.ows.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: http://ows.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: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdfUNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 07/9/2011


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000


State Change State Supplied Comment
CA -15,751 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
NJ -7,486 Fewer layoffs in education related services, retail, and other service industries.
MA -3,008 Fewer layoffs in the transportation and service industries.
IL -1,399 No comment.
CT -1,316 No comment.
RI -1,077 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing and service industries.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000


State Change State Supplied Comment
NY +20,599 Layoffs in education related services, transportation, and service industries.
MN +9,681 Layoffs attributed to state government shutdown.
MI +9,030 Layoff in the automobile and service industries.
FL +7,544 Layoffs in the service, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, trade, and retail industries.
OH +5,839 Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
IN +2,932 Layoffs in the manufacturing and service industries.
AL +2,310 Layoff due to seasonal shutdowns in the service, apparel, transportation, and textile industries.
PA +1,828 Layoffs in education related services and other service industries.
AZ +1,586 No comment.
WI +1,485 No comment.
OR +1,371 No comment.
AR +1,225 No comment.
KS +1,151 No comment.
TN +1,074 Layoffs in education related services, transportation, and other service industries.
NV +1,061 No comment.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current