News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 04-2409-NAT
   
   
Program Contact: TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Subri Raman (202) 693-3058 RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Tony Sznoluch (202) 693-3176 8:30 A.M. (EST), THURSDAY
Media Contact : December 2, 2004
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Nov. 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 349,000, an increase of 25,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 324,000. The 4-week moving average was 336,500, an increase of 4,250 from the previous week's revised average of 332,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending Nov. 20, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.2 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Nov. 20 was 2,723,000, a decrease of 20,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,743,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,763,750, a decrease of 17,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,781,250.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 320,435 in the week ending Nov. 27, a decrease of 36,286 from the previous week. There were 357,811 initial claims in the comparable week in 2003.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.8 percent during the week ending Nov. 20, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,335,927, a decrease of 192,760 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.3 percent and the volume was 2,949,992.

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Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending Nov. 13.

630 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Nov. 13.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,173 in the week ending Nov. 20, an increase of 453 from the prior week. There were 1,808 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 149 from the preceding week.

There were 19,914 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Nov. 13, an increase of 2,784 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,563, an increase of 1,351 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Nov. 13 were in Alaska (5.3 percent), Puerto Rico (4.3), Oregon (2.9), Pennsylvania (2.9), New Jersey (2.8), Michigan (2.7), California (2.6), Washington (2.6), Arkansas (2.4), and Massachusetts (2.4).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Nov. 20 were in California (+5,652), Illinois (+3,372), Minnesota (+2,412), New York (+2,131), and Pennsylvania (+1,917), while the largest decreases were in Puerto Rico (-110), North Carolina (-79), and Vermont (-7).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Nov.27 Nov. 20 Change Nov. 13 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 349,000 324,000 +25,000 335,000 372,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 320,435 356,721 -36,286 311,901 357,811
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 336,500 332,250 +4,250 338,750 369,250
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Nov. 20 Nov. 13 Change Nov. 6 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,723,000 2,743,000 -20,000 2,781,000 3,356,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,335,927 2,528,687 -192,760 2,388,670 2,949,992
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,763,750 2,781,250 -17,500 2,800,500 3,411,250
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.2% 2.2% 0.0 2.2% 2.7%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 1.8% 2.0% -0.2 1.9% 2.3%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Nov. 20
Nov. 13
Change
Year
Federal Employees 2,173 1,720 +453 2,285
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,808 1,659 +149 1,679
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Nov. 13
Nov. 6
Change
Year
Federal Employees 19,914 17,130 +2,784 21,995
Newly Discharged Veterans 28,563 27,212 +1,351 24,383
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 3,000
Extended Benefits 0 4 -4 29,030
Federal (TEUC) 630 659 -29 811,980
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 126,276,799 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 11/20/2004 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
None    

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
IN +1,027 No comment.
WI +1,101 Layoffs in the construction, service, and manufacturing industries.
MI +1,105 Layoffs in the construction industry.
AR +1,189 No comment.
FL +1,232 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
GA +1,343 Layoffs in the textile industry.
MA +1,347 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, finance, and insurance industries.
OH +1,425 No comment.
TN +1,450 Layoffs in the industrial machinery, fabricated metals, apparel, construction, and transportation equipment industries.
OR +1,458 No comment.
TX +1,572 Layoffs in the transportation, service, and manufacturing industries.
WA +1,584 No comment.
SC +1,656 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
KY +1,875 Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
PA +1,917 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
NY +2,131 No comment.
MN +2,412 Layoffs in the construction and manufacturing industries.
IL +3,372 No comment.
CA +5,652 Increase due to the return to a five day workweek.


State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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