News Release
  
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION USDL 03-659-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 November 6, 2003
 

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending Nov. 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 348,000, a decrease of 43,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 391,000. The 4-week moving average was 380,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's revised average of 390,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent for the week ending Oct. 25, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.8 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Oct. 25 was 3,511,000, a decrease of 22,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,533,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,543,000, a decrease of 25,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,568,500.
 

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 339,536 in the week ending Nov. 1, a decrease of 13,153 from the previous week. There were 397,346 initial claims in the comparable week in 2002.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending Oct. 25, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,977,045, a decrease of 8,646 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.4 percent and the volume was 3,059,193.

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Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington during the week ending Oct. 18.

53 states reported that 825,816 individuals filed continued claims under the Federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program during the week ending Oct. 18.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,757 in the week ending Oct. 25, an increase of 414 from the prior week. There were 1,728 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 186 from the preceding week.

There were 20,777 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Oct. 18, an increase of 2,169 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 22,954, an increase of 1,561 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Oct. 18 were in Alaska (4.6 percent), Puerto Rico (4.6), Oregon (3.6), California (3.3), Washington (3.3), Pennsylvania (3.2), Michigan (3.0), New Jersey (3.0), Connecticut (2.8), and Massachusetts (2.8).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Oct. 25 were in California (+13,539), New York (+1,891), Illinois (+1,769), New Jersey (+1,339), and North Carolina (+1,255), while the largest decreases were in Michigan (-8,653), Missouri (-1,638), Florida (-1,138), Kansas (-131), and Hawaii
(-125).

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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Nov. 1  Oct. 25 Change Oct. 18  Year
Initial Claims (SA) 348,000 391,000 -43,000 391,000 398,000
Initial Claims (NSA) 339,536 352,689 -13,153 328,214 397,346
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 380,000 390,000 -10,000 393,500 410,750
Advance Prior1
WEEK ENDING Oct. 25 Oct. 18  Change Oct. 11 Year
Ins. Unemployment (SA) 3,511,000 3,533,000 -22,000 3,503,000 3,591,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA) 2,977,045 2,985,691 -8,646 2,890,250 3,059,193
4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 3,543,000 3,568,500 -25,500 3,596,750 3,604,750
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.8% 2.8% 0.0 2.8% 2.8%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 2.4% 2.4% 0.0 2.3% 2.4%
INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
       
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Oct. 25
Oct. 18
Change
Year
Federal Employees 1,757 1,343 +414 1,526
Newly Discharged Veterans 1,728 1,542 +186 1,523
PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)
Prior1
WEEK ENDING
Oct. 18
Oct. 11
Change
Year
Federal Employees 20,777 18,608 +2,169 19,576
Newly Discharged Veterans 22,954 21,393 +1,561 18,301
Railroad Retirement Board 3,000 3,000 0 4,000
Extended Benefits 32,799 32,379 +420 11,233
Federal (TEUC) 825,816 812,698 +13,118 812,401
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 10/25/2003 

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
State Change State Supplied Comment
MI -8,653 Fewer layoffs in the automobile industry.
MO -1,638 Fewer layoffs in the trade industry.
FL -1,138 Fewer layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000 
WV +1,054 Increase due to effects of strike in grocery stores.
KY +1,095 No comment.
PA +1,116 Layoffs in the food, trade, service, and transportation equipment industries.
MA +1,180 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
TX +1,252 Layoffs in the trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
NC +1,255 Layoffs in the textile and trade industries.
NJ +1,339 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
IL +1,769 Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries.
NY +1,891 Return to a five day workweek.
CA +13,539 Layoffs in the construction and motion picture industries, and agriculture. Increase also due to effects of strikes in grocery stores and public transportation in the city of Los Angeles.


State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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