News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 08-1139-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. (EDT), THURSDAY
Media Contact : August 14, 2008
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Aug. 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 450,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 460,000. The 4-week moving average was 440,500, an increase of 19,500 from the previous week's revised average of 421,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending Aug. 2, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.5 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Aug. 2 was 3,417,000, an increase of 114,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,303,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,273,750, an increase of 75,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,198,500.  

The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 2.995 million.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 378,705 in the week ending Aug. 9, a decrease of 6,577 from the previous week. There were 266,420 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending Aug. 2, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,236,307, an increase of 69,167 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.8 percent and the volume was 2,409,122.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska and Rhode Island during the week ending July 26.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,099 in the week ending Aug. 2, an increase of 21 from the prior week. There were 1,701 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 273 from the preceding week.

There were 13,746 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending July 26, a decrease of 436 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 20,980, an increase of 83 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 26 were in Puerto Rico (3.8 percent), Michigan (3.5), Rhode Island (3.5), New Jersey (3.4), Pennsylvania (3.3), Massachusetts (3.2), California (3.1), Oregon (3.1), South Carolina (3.0), and Wisconsin (3.0).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Aug. 2 were in Puerto Rico (+5,389), Illinois (+4,163), Missouri (+2,011), Texas (+1,927), and Georgia (+1,797), while the largest decreases were in Ohio (-5,483), Kentucky (-3,734), North Carolina (-2,298), South Carolina (-2,187), and Indiana
(-1,380).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Aug. 9 Aug. 2 Change July 26 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 450,000 460,000 -10,000 449,000 323,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 378,705 385,282 -6,577 376,123 266,420
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 440,500 421,000 +19,500 393,000 315,500
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Aug. 2 July 26 Change July 19 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,417,000 3,303,000 +114,000 3,278,000 2,555,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,236,307 3,167,140 +69,167 3,208,848 2,409,122
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,273,750 3,198,500 +75,250 3,173,500 2,548,250
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.6% 2.5% +0.1 2.5% 1.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 2.4% 2.4% 0.0 2.4% 1.8%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Aug. 2
July 26
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,099 1,078 +21 1,050
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,701 1,428 +273 1,709
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
July 26
July 19
Change
Year
Federal Employees 13,746 14,182 -436 14,096
Newly Discharged Veterans 20,980 20,897 +83 21,302
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 1,831 1,483 +348 0
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 133,690,617 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 08/02/2008 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
OH -5,483 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
KY -3,734 Fewer layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
NC -2,298 Fewer layoffs in the textile, electronic equipment, electrical equipment, and lumber/wood industries.
SC -2,187 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
IN -1,380 Fewer layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
TN -1,271 Fewer layoffs in the transportation equipment, machinery, textile, food, and manufacturing industries.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
NJ +1,005 Layoffs in the trade, service, transportation, and warehousing industries.
CA +1,207 No comment.
MI +1,216 Layoffs in the automobile industry.
IA +1,777 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
GA +1,797 Layoffs in the trade and manufacturing industries.
TX +1,927 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
MO +2,011 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
IL +4,163 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
PR +5,389 No comment.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current


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