Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—May 21, 2015
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending May 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 274,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level of 264,000. The 4-week moving average was 266,250, a decrease of 5,500 from the previous week’s unrevised average of 271,750. This is the lowest level for this average since April 15, 2000 when it was 266,250.
There were no special factors impacting this week’s initial claims.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.6 percent for the week ending May 9, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the previous week’s unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 9 was 2,211,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week’s revised level. This is the lowest level for insured unemployment since November 11, 2000 when it was 2,161,000. The previous week’s level was revised down by 6,000 from 2,229,000 to 2,223,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,229,750, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week’s revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since November 25, 2000 when it was 2,211,250. The previous week’s average was revised down by 1,500 from 2,260,250 to 2,258,750.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 242,794 in the week ending May 16, a decrease of 88 (less than -0.1 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 8,722 (or -3.6 percent) from the previous week. There were 287,398 initial claims in the comparable week in 2014. The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.6 percent during the week ending May 9, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,078,408, a decrease of 60,204 (or -2.8 percent) from the preceding week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 48,908 (or -2.3 percent) from the previous week. A year earlier the rate was 1.9 percent and the volume was 2,494,495.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending May 2 was 2,195,714, a decrease of 58,933 from the previous week. There were 2,620,550 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2014.
No state was triggered “on” the Extended Benefits program during the week ending May 2.
Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 767 in the week ending May 9, a decrease of 72 from the prior week. There were 1,370 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 31 from the preceding week.
There were 11,409 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending May 2, an increase of 22 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 19,741, an increase of 260 from the prior week.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending May 2 were in Alaska (3.5), Puerto Rico (2.7), California (2.6), New Jersey (2.6), Connecticut (2.3), Pennsylvania (2.3), Nevada (2.2), West Virginia (2.2), Wyoming (2.2), and Massachusetts (2.1)
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 9 were in Georgia (+1,480), Florida (+1,087), South Carolina (+891), Illinois (+860), and North Carolina (+801), while the largest decreases were in New York (-1,696), Oregon (-931), New Hampshire (-726), Wisconsin (-605), and Missouri (-322).
Source: dol.gov
