Global| Jul 26 2012U.S. Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Fall Back
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
Bona fide job market improvement was more in evidence last week. Initial claims for unemployment insurance dropped back to 353,000 during the week ended July 21st from 388,000 during the prior week, revised from 386,000. The decline [...]
Bona fide job market improvement was more in evidence last week. Initial claims for unemployment insurance dropped back to 353,000 during the week ended July 21st from 388,000 during the prior week, revised from 386,000. The decline reversed the earlier week's rebound. Consensus expectations were for 380,000 new claims. The four-week moving average of claims fell to 367,250, its lowest since late-March.
Continuing claims for unemployment insurance fell w/w to 3.287M (-11.5% y/y) during the week of July 14, their lowest since mid-May. The insured rate of unemployment held steady at 2.6% where it's been since March. This particular count covers only "regular" programs and does not include all extended benefit and other specialized jobless insurance programs. In the week of July 7, the latest figure available, the grand total of all benefit recipients rose to 6.034M, down -21.1% y/y and down 50% from the peak in January 2010.
By state the insured unemployment rate varied greatly with Nebraska (1.45%), Virginia (1.48%), Texas (1.70%), Ohio (1.88%), Indiana (1.93%), Florida (2.06%), and Georgia (2.31%) at the low end of the range. At the high end were Illinois (2.90%), Nevada (3.21%), California (3.44%), Alaska (3.71%), Connecticut (3.74%), Pennsylvania (3.87%) and New Jersey (3.89%).
Data on weekly unemployment insurance programs are contained in Haver's WEEKLY database, including the seasonal factor series, and they are summarized monthly in USECON. Data for individual states, including the unemployment rates that determine individual state eligibility for the extended benefits programs and specific "tiers" of the emergency program, are in REGIONW, a database of weekly data for states and various regional divisions. Action Economics consensus survey estimates are in AS1REPNA.
| Unemployment Insurance (000s) | 07/21/12 | 07/14/12 | 07/07/12 | Y/Y% | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Claims | 353 | 388 | 352 | -12.2 | 409 | 459 | 574 |
| Continuing Claims | -- | 3,287 | 3,317 | -11.5 | 3,745 | 4,544 | 5,807 |
| Insured Unemployment Rate (%) | -- | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.0 (7/11) |
3.0 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
| Total "All Programs" (NSA) | -- | -- | 6.034M | -21.1 | 7.750M | 9.850M | 9.163M |
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.
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