News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 06-925-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. (EDT), THURSDAY
Media Contact : June 1, 2006
(202) 693-4676  
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending May 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 336,000, an increase of 7,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 329,000. The 4-week moving average was 333,500, an increase of 2,750 from the previous week's revised average of 330,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending May 20, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 1.9 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 20 was 2,433,000, an increase of 19,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,414,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,402,500, a decrease of 2,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,404,500.  

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 292,105 in the week ending May 27, an increase of 14,700 from the previous week. There were 304,306 initial claims in the comparable week in 2005.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.7 percent during the week ending May 20, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,209,100, a decrease of 28,877 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.9 percent and the volume was 2,361,073.

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

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 945 in the week ending May 20, an increase of 36 from the prior week. There were 1,912 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 25 from the preceding week.

There were 11,850 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending May 13, an increase of 473 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 26,084, an increase of 413 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending May 13 were in Puerto Rico (5.0 percent), Alaska (4.1), Michigan (3.1), Pennsylvania (2.6), New Jersey (2.4), Oregon (2.3), California (2.2), Massachusetts (2.2), Rhode Island (2.2), and Wisconsin (2.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 20 were in Ohio (+6,563), Pennsylvania (+4,715), Michigan (+2,246), Massachusetts (+950), and New Jersey (+753), while the largest decreases were in Puerto Rico (-23,747), Indiana (-1,649), California (-1,240), Tennessee (-816), and Illinois
(-813).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING May 27 May 20 Change May 13 Year
Initial Claims (SA) 336,000 329,000 +7,000 344,000 346,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 292,105 277,405 +14,700 288,972 304,306
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 333,500 330,750 +2,750 327,500 335,250
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING May 20 May 13 Change May 6 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 2,433,000 2,414,000 +19,000 2,382,000 2,609,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,209,100 2,237,977 -28,877 2,227,582 2,361,073
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,402,500 2,404,500 -2,000 2,411,250 2,609,500
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 1.9% 1.9% 0.0 1.8% 2.1%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2
 1.7% 1.7% 0.0 1.7% 1.9%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
May 20
May 13
Change
Year
Federal Employees 945 909 +36 1,038
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,912 1,937 -25 1,904
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
May 13
May 6
Change
Year
Federal Employees 11,850 11,377 +473 12,681
Newly Discharged Veterans 26,084 25,671 +413 27,249
Railroad Retirement Board 2,000 2,000 0 2,000
Extended Benefits 4,119 5,297 -1,178 2,997
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 129,381,803 as denominator.
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UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 05/20/2006 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
PR -23,747 No comment.
IN -1,649 Fewer layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
CA -1,240 No comment.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MI +2,246 Layoffs in the automobile and transportation equipment industries.
PA +4,715 Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
OH +6,563 Layoffs in the automobile industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-693-4676. TDD Message Phone: 1-800-326-2577.  News releases from the U.S. Department of Labor are accessible on the Internet at: http://www.dol.gov/ and  http://www.ows.doleta.gov/