Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—August 28, 2014.
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending August 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 298,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 1,000 from 298,000 to 299,000. The 4-week moving average was 299,750, a decrease of 1,250 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 250 from 300,750 to 301,000. There were no special factors impacting this week’s initial claims.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending August 16, unchanged from the previous week’s unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending August 16 was 2,527,000, an increase of 25,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up 2,000 from 2,500,000 to 2,502,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,524,250, a decrease of 3,750 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 500 from 2,527,500 to 2,528,000.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 248,622 in the week ending August 23, a decrease of 841 (or -0.3 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected no change from the previous week. There were 279,803 initial claims in the comparable week in 2013. The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.8 percent during the week ending August 16, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,400,252, a decrease of 12,142 (or -0.5 percent) from the preceding week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 35,035 (or -1.5 percent) from the previous week. A year earlier the rate was 2.2 percent and the volume was 2,819,994.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending August 9 was 2,466,791, a decrease of 50,674 from the previous week. There were 4,460,830 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2013.
No state was triggered “on” the Extended Benefits program during the week ending August 9.
Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,013 in the week ending August 16, a decrease of 35 from the prior week. There were 1,984 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 241 from the preceding week. There were 15,415 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending August 9, an increase of 772 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 24,530, an increase of 725 from the prior week.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending August 9 were in Puerto Rico (4.2), New Jersey (3.3), Connecticut (3.1), Alaska (3.0), Pennsylvania (2.7), California (2.6), Rhode Island (2.6), Massachusetts (2.5), Nevada (2.5), Illinois (2.3).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending August 16 were in Georgia (+874), Alabama (+575), Connecticut (+467), Hawaii (+387), and Iowa (+131), while the largest decreases were in California (-8,771), Florida (-1,462), Illinois (-1,442), Michigan (-1,401), and Texas (-1,050).
Source: dol.gov
