UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending May 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 370,000, unchanged from the previous week's revised figure of 370,000. The 4-week moving average was 375,000, a decrease of 4,750 from the previous week's revised average of 379,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending May 5, unchanged from the prior week's revised rate.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 5 was 3,265,000, an increase of 18,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,247,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,282,750, a decrease of 11,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,294,500.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 322,821 in the week ending May 12, a decrease of 18,259 from the previous week. There were 361,573 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent during the week ending May 5, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,127,783, a decrease of 83,044 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.9 percent and the volume was 3,586,266.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending April 28 was 6,273,624, a decrease of 149,759 from the previous week.

Extended benefits were available in Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and West Virginia during the week ending April 28.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,197 in the week ending May 5, a decrease of 7 from the prior week. There were 2,606 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 380 from the preceding week.

There were 17,695 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending April 28, a decrease of 1,814 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 39,689, an increase of 7 from the prior week.

States reported 2,666,007 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending April 28, a decrease of 22,150 from the prior week. There were 3,468,979 claimants in the comparable week in 2011. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending April 28 were in Alaska (5.3), Puerto Rico (3.9), California (3.7), Pennsylvania (3.6), New Jersey (3.5), Oregon (3.5), Connecticut (3.3), Rhode Island (3.2), Illinois (3.1), Nevada (3.1), and Wisconsin (3.1).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 5 were in Missouri (+2,569), New York (+2,276), Pennsylvania (+1,674), California (+1,613), and Texas (+1,229), while the largest decreases were in Florida (-2,599), Indiana (-1,735), Connecticut (-1,038), New Hampshire (-836), and Massachusetts (-668).