News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 03-916-NAT
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Thomas Stengle (202) 693-2991 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Media Contact : 8:30 A.M. (EST), THURSDAY
(202) 693-4676 December 18, 2003
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending Dec. 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 353,000, a decrease of 22,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 375,000. The 4-week moving average was 361,750, a decrease of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average of 364,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending Dec. 6, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.6 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Dec. 6 was 3,339,000, an increase of 28,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,311,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,332,250, a decrease of 34,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,366,250.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 411,081 in the week ending Dec. 13, a decrease of 75,048 from the previous week. There were 486,258 initial claims in the comparable week in 2002.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent during the week ending Dec. 6, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,319,014, a decrease of 75,254 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.8 percent and the volume was 3,543,993.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington during the week ending Nov. 29.

53 states reported that 807,763 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Nov. 29.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,517 in the week ending Dec. 6, an increase of 1,249 from the prior week. There were 2,371 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 1,359 from the preceding week.

There were 23,384 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Nov. 29, an increase of 4,029 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 25,188, an increase of 2,848 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Nov. 29 were in Alaska (6.3 percent), Puerto Rico (4.7), Oregon (4.3), Washington (4.1), Wisconsin (3.8), Idaho (3.7), Michigan (3.7), Pennsylvania (3.6), Arkansas (3.4), and California (3.4).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 6 were in Pennsylvania (+19,492), California (+16,565), North Carolina (+14,790), New York (+11,322), and Georgia (+10,155), while the largest decreases were in Wisconsin (-8,757), Texas (-3,084), Idaho (-1,016), Louisiana (-841), and Arkansas (-456).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Dec. 13  Dec. 6 Change Nov. 29  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 353,000 375,000 -22,000 365,000 421,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 411,081 486,129 -75,048 357,021 486,258
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 361,750 364,000 -2,250 362,500 405,750
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Dec. 6 Nov. 29  Change Nov. 22 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,339,000 3,311,000 +28,000 3,340,000 3,533,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,319,014 3,394,268 -75,254 2,945,892 3,543,993
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,332,250 3,366,250 -34,000 3,407,500 3,469,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.6% 2.6% 0.0 2.6% 2.8%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.6% 2.7% -0.1 2.3% 2.8%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Dec. 6
Nov. 29
Change
Year
Federal Employees 2,517 1,268 +1,249 2,232
Newly Discharged Veterans 2,371 1,012 +1,359 1,577
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Nov. 29
Nov. 22
Change
Year
Federal Employees 23,384 19,355 +4,029 23,206
Newly Discharged Veterans 25,188 22,340 +2,848 20,742
Railroad Retirement Board 4,000 4,000 0 6,000
Extended Benefits 29,640 28,681 +959 14,879
Federal (TEUC) 807,763 778,518 +29,245 787,977
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 126,428,924 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 12/06/2003 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
WI -8,757 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
TX -3,084 Fewer layoffs in the finance, service, and manufacturing industries.
ID -1,016 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
DE +1,007 No comment.
MD +1,119 No comment.
WV +1,159 No comment.
NV +1,165 No comment.
AZ +1,238 No comment.
MI +1,406 No comment.
WA +1,562 No comment.
MA +1,625 No comment.
CT +1,860 Layoffs in the construction industry, and agriculture.
MS +2,166 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
NE +2,220 No comment.
OH +2,638 No comment.
FL +3,273 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries, and agriculture.
VA +3,845 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MO +3,940 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
TN +5,328 Layoffs in the industrial machinery, lumber/wood, service, paper, and manufacturing industries.
NJ +6,102 Return to a five day workweek.
AL +6,194 Layoffs in the construction, service, textile, and apparel industries.
IL +8,014 Layoffs in the construction and service industries.
SC +8,895 Layoffs in the textile industry.
GA +10,155 Layoffs in the textile industry.
NY +11,322 Return to a five day workweek.
NC +14,790 Layoffs in the textile, apparel, furniture, construction, trade, and service industries.
CA +16,565 Layoffs in the construction and service industries, and agriculture.
PA +19,492 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, and wood products industries.


State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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