400K Initial Jobless Claims Last Week

Washington, DC…In the week ending July 30, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claimswas 400,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 401,000. The 4-week moving average was 407,750, a decrease of 6,750 from the previous week’s revised average of 414,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending July 23, unchanged from the prior week’s revised rate of 3.0 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 23 was 3,730,000, an increase of 10,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 3,720,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,729,750, an increase of 4,500 from the preceding week’s revised average of 3,725,250.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 339,348 in the week ending July 30, a decrease of 29,939 from the previous week. There were 402,140 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent during the week ending July 23, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,663,134, a decrease of 89,947 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.5 percent and the volume was 4,438,886.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending July 16 was 7,570,439, a decrease of 75,192 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 16.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,737 in the week ending July 23, a decrease of 146 from the prior week. There were 2,704 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 65 from the preceding week.

There were 25,709 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending July 16, an increase of 748 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 37,707, a decrease of 593 from the prior week.

States reported 3,184,621 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending July 16, an increase of 12,193 from the prior week. There were 3,332,029 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 16 were in Puerto Rico (5.0), Pennsylvania (4.5), California (4.0), New Jersey (4.0), Alaska (3.9) Oregon (3.9), Connecticut (3.8), Rhode Island (3.8), Nevada (3.7) and Arizona (3.5).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 23 were in Maine (+77), Wyoming (+34), North Dakota (+30), New Mexico (+13), and South Dakota (+3) while the largest decreases were in California (-23,689), New York (-8,037), North Carolina (-7,511), Georgia (-6,399), and South Carolina (-5,837).


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
 


WEEK ENDING Advance July 30 July 23 Change July 16 Prior Year1

Initial Claims (SA) 400,000 401,000 -1,000 422,000 474,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 339,348 369,287 -29,939 470,077 402,140
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 407,750 414,500 -6,750 422,250 459,250
 
WEEK ENDING Advance July 23 July 16 Change July 9 Prior Year1

Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,730,000 3,720,000 +10,000 3,720,000 4,534,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,663,134 3,753,081 -89,947 3,783,316 4,438,886
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,729,750 3,725,250 +4,500 3,726,250 4,545,750

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 3.0 3.0 0.0 3.0 3.6
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
2.9 3.0 -0.1 3.0 3.5

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
 


WEEK ENDING

July 23

July 16

Change

Prior Year1

Federal Employees 1,737 1,883 -146 3,316
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,704 2,639 65 2,790

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
 


WEEK ENDING

July 16

July 9

Change

Prior Year1

Regular State 3,742,783 3,771,753 -28,970 4,539,726
Federal Employees (UCFE) 25,709 24,961 748 22,875
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 37,707 38,300 -593 42,687
EUC 20083 3,184,621 3,172,428 12,193 3,332,029
Extended Benefits4 533,450 587,685 -54,235 624,593
State Additional Benefits 5 4,862 4,805 57 4,656
STC / Workshare 6 41,307 45,699 -4,392 58,627
TOTAL 7,570,439 7,645,631 -75,192 8,625,193

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.pdf

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 07/23/2011


STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000


State Change State Supplied Comment
CA -23,689 Fewer layoffs in the service industry.
NY -8,037 Fewer layoffs in the education related services, transportation, and construction industries.
NC -7,511 Fewer layoffs in the furniture and fixtures, textile, lumber, and construction industries.
GA -6,399 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing, service, trade, and construction industries.
SC -5,837 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
FL -5,432 Fewer layoffs in the agriculture, manufacturing, construction, trade, and service industries.
MI -5,188 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
AL -4,830 Fewer layoffs in the transportation, textile, construction, apparel, and service industries.
KY -4,113 No comment.
NJ -3,300 Fewer layoffs in the education related services, trade, transportation, service, and construction industries.
MN -3,106 Fewer furloughs in state government.
IN -2,862 No comment.
OH -2,256 No comment.
MO -1,875 Fewer layoff in the manufacturing industry.
PA -1,482 Fewer layoffs in the construction and service industries.
WI -1,387 No comment.
MA -1,320 Seasonal decreases in all industries.
VA -1,308 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000


State Change State Supplied Comment
None

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current