News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 04-1-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 January 8, 2004
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending Jan. 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 353,000, an increase of 14,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 339,000. The 4-week moving average was 350,250, a decrease of 5,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 355,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending Dec. 27, 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. 27 was 3,273,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,285,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,275,000, a decrease of 10,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,285,500.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 546,823 in the week ending Jan. 3, an increase of 30,431 from the previous week. There were 620,004 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent during the week ending Dec. 27, an increase of 0.3 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,724,660, an increase of 485,181 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.2 percent and the volume was 4,081,930.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington during the week ending Dec. 20.

53 states reported that 765,570 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Dec. 20.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,368 in the week ending Dec. 27, a decrease of 748 from the prior week. There were 1,618 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 21 from the preceding week.

There were 20,665 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Dec. 20, a decrease of 3,559 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 23,234, a decrease of 2,685 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Dec. 20 were in Alaska (5.5 percent), Oregon (4.0), Washington (4.0), Pennsylvania (3.8), Idaho (3.6), Puerto Rico (3.5), Michigan (3.4), Wisconsin (3.4), Massachusetts (3.3), and New Jersey (3.3).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Dec. 27 were in Michigan (+20,583), Wisconsin (+16,375), Pennsylvania (+13,179), Massachusetts (+7,043), and New Jersey (+5,930), while the largest decreases were in Missouri (-2,566), Kentucky (-2,288), Florida (-2,198), North Carolina
(-1,212), and South Carolina (-1,186).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Jan. 3  Dec. 27 Change Dec. 20  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 353,000 339,000 +14,000 354,000 396,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 546,823 516,392 +30,431 424,234 620,004
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 350,250 355,750 -5,500 362,250 402,250
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Dec. 27 Dec. 20  Change Dec. 13 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,273,000 3,285,000 -12,000 3,234,000 3,468,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 3,724,660 3,239,479 +485,181 3,385,974 4,081,930
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,275,000 3,285,500 -10,500 3,299,250 3,488,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.6% 2.6% 0.0 2.6% 2.7%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.9% 2.6% +0.3 2.7% 3.2%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Dec. 27
Dec. 20
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,368 2,116 -748 1,241
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,618 1,597 +21 803
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Dec. 20
Dec. 13
Change
Year
Federal Employees 20,665 24,224 -3,559 19,817
Newly Discharged Veterans 23,234 25,919 -2,685 18,896
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 5,000
Extended Benefits 26,606 29,662 -3,056 16,042
Federal (TEUC) 765,570 817,072 -51,502 734,091
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 12/27/2003 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MO -2,566 Fewer layoffs in the construction and service industries.
KY -2,288 No comment.
FL -2,198 Fewer layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries, and agriculture.
NC -1,212 Fewer layoffs in the food, construction, and service industries.
SC -1,186 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
AZ -1,115 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
AL +1,043 Layoffs in the textile and electrical equipment industries.
MN +1,167 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
RI +1,170 Layoffs in the trade and service industries.
VT +1,630 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
IL +1,919 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
ID +2,351 No comment.
KS +3,240 Layoffs in the trade, service, real estate, and manufacturing industries.
AR +3,379 No comment.
CA +3,781 Layoffs in the motion picture industry.
OH +3,906 Layoffs in the construction industry.
IN +3,935 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
IA +3,937 No comment.
WA +3,958 No comment.
OR +5,245 No comment.
NJ +5,930 Layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, food, public administration, and manufacturing industries.
MA +7,043 No comment.
PA +13,179   Layoffs in the food, textile, primary and fabricated metals, industrial machinery, transportation, and manufacturing industries.
WI +16,375 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, transportation, communications, and public utilities industries, and agriculture.
MI +20,583 Layoffs in the automobile and transportation equipment industries.


State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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