Global| Jun 11 2015U.S. Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Remain Low
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
Initial unemployment insurance claims of 279,000 (-12.3% y/y) during the week June 6 compared to 277,000 during the prior week, initially reported as 276,000. The four week moving average rose to 278,750, the highest level since early [...]
Initial unemployment insurance claims of 279,000 (-12.3% y/y) during the week June 6 compared to 277,000 during the prior week, initially reported as 276,000. The four week moving average rose to 278,750, the highest level since early May. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected 277,000 claims in the latest week. During the last ten years, there has been a 76% correlation between the level of initial claims and the m/m change in nonfarm payrolls.
Continuing claims for unemployment insurance rose to 2.265 million (-13.7% y/y) in the latest week. The four-week moving average was stable at 2.227 million, the lowest level since November 2000.
The insured rate of unemployment inched back to 1.7% continuing the up/down pattern of the last several weeks.
By state, the insured rate of unemployment continued to vary greatly with Virginia (0.80%), Georgia (0.95%), Kansas (1.27%), Idaho (1.23%), Michigan (1.30%) and Texas (1.53%) at the low end of the range. At the high end were Maryland (1.57%), Massachusetts (1.97%), California (2.11%), Nevada (2.15%), Pennsylvania (2.18%) and New Jersey (2.42%). These data are not seasonally adjusted.
Data on weekly unemployment insurance are contained in Haver's WEEKLY database and they are summarized monthly in USECON. Data for individual states are in REGIONW. The expectations figure is from the Action Economics survey, carried in the AS1REPNA database.
| Unemployment Insurance (000s) | 06/06/15 | 05/30/15 | 05/23/15 | Y/Y % | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Claims | 279 | 277 | 284 | -12.3 | 309 | 343 | 374 |
| Continuing Claims | -- | 2,265 | 2,204 | -13.7 | 2,599 | 2,978 | 3,319 |
| Insured Unemployment Rate (%) | -- | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.0 (05/14) |
2.0 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
Tom Moeller
AuthorMore in Author Profile »Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio. Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984. He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C. In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists. Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.
More Economy in Brief
