weekly unemployment numbers.

In the week ending July 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 448,000, an increase of 44,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 404,000. The 4-week moving average was 393,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week's revised average of 382,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending July 19, an increase of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.3 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 19 was 3,282,000, an increase of 185,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,097,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,174,500, an increase of 42,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,131,750.

The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 2.957 million.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 375,627 in the week ending July 26, a decrease of 36,898 from the previous week. There were 257,426 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent during the week ending July 19, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,213,405, an increase of 48,639 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.9 percent and the volume was 2,463,232.


Extended benefits were available in Alaska during the week ending July 12.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,434 in the week ending July 19, a decrease of 347 from the prior week. There were 1,706 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 149 from the preceding week.

There were 12,790 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending July 12, an increase of 162 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 20,538, an increase of 487 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 12 were in Puerto Rico (5.0 percent), Michigan (3.7), New Jersey (3.4), Rhode Island (3.4), Pennsylvania (3.3), Oregon (3.2), Wisconsin (3.2), California (3.1), Connecticut (2.9), Massachusetts (2.9), and Nevada (2.9).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 19 were in Florida (+4,178), Wisconsin (+2,982), Louisiana (+1,212), Illinois (+1,206), and Texas (+1,162), while the largest decreases were in New York (-20,450), Michigan (-6,598), Missouri (-5,065), Pennsylvania (-4,696), and Georgia
(-4,347).


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advance



Prior1

WEEK ENDING
July 26
July 19
Change
July 12
Year


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial Claims (SA)
448,000
404,000
+44,000
372,000
313,000

Initial Claims (NSA)
375,627
412,525
-36,898
483,981
257,426

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)
393,000
382,000
+11,000
378,000
308,500


Advance



Prior1

WEEK ENDING
July 19
July 12
Change
July 5
Year


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ins. Unemployment (SA)
3,282,000
3,097,000
+185,000
3,116,000
2,542,000

Ins. Unemployment (NSA)
3,213,405
3,164,766
+48,639
3,118,724
2,463,232

4-Wk Moving Average (SA)
3,174,500
3,131,750
+42,750
3,141,250
2,548,500


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2
2.5%
2.3%
+0.2
2.3%
1.9%

Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2

2.4%
2.4%
0.0
2.3%
1.9%


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Prior1

WEEK ENDING
July 19
July 12
Change
Year


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Employees
1,434
1,781
-347
1,223

Newly Discharged Veterans
1,706
1,855
-149
1,685


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Prior1

WEEK ENDING
July 12
July 5
Change
Year


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Employees
12,790
12,628
+162
13,856

Newly Discharged Veterans
20,538
20,051
+487
21,466

Railroad Retirement Board
2,000
2,000
0
2,000

Extended Benefits
1,777
1,298
+479
0


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 133,690,617 as denominator