Connect with DOL at https://blog.dol.gov News Release TRANSMISSION OF MATERIALS IN THIS RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL 8:30 A.M. (Eastern) Thursday, September 30, 2021 UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending September 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 362,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 351,000. The 4-week moving average was 340,000, an increase of 4,250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 335,750. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.0 percent for the week ending September 18, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 18 was 2,802,000, a decrease of 18,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 25,000 from 2,845,000 to 2,820,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,797,250, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since March 21, 2020 when it was 2,071,750. The previous week's average was revised down by 6,000 from 2,804,000 to 2,798,000. 1 UNADJUSTED DATA The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 298,255 in the week ending September 25, a decrease of 8,326 (or -2.7 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 18,940 (or -6.2 percent) from the previous week. There were 732,912 initial claims in the comparable week in 2020. In addition, for the week ending September 25, 39 states reported 16,752 initial claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.8 percent during the week ending September 18, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted level of insured unemployment in state programs totaled 2,460,965, a decrease of 48,954 (or -2.0 percent) from the preceding week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 30,979 (or -1.2 percent) from the previous week. A year earlier the rate was 7.6 percent and the volume was 11,037,718. The total number of continued weeks claimed for benefits in all programs for the week ending September 11 was 5,027,581, a decrease of 6,222,725 from the previous week. There were 27,205,974 weekly claims filed for benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2020. During the week ending September 11, Extended Benefits were available in the following 9 states: Alaska, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Texas. Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 758 in the week ending September 18, an increase of 22 from the prior week. There were 454 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 2 from the preceding week. 2 There were 8,481 continued weeks claimed filed by former Federal civilian employees the week ending September 11, an increase of 665 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 5,651, an increase of 194 from the prior week. During the week ending September 11, 44 states reported 1,059,248 continued weekly claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits and 46 states reported 991,813 continued claims for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits. The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending September 11 were in Puerto Rico (4.7), California (3.4), District of Columbia (3.2), Oregon (3.2), Alaska (3.1), Nevada (3.1), New Jersey (3.1), the Virgin Islands (3.1), Hawaii (2.7), and Illinois (2.7). The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending September 18 were in California (+17,218), Virginia (+12,140), Ohio (+4,147), Oregon (+3,413), and Maryland (+2,452), while the largest decreases were in Louisiana (-6,935), New York (-2,275), Missouri (-1,568), Oklahoma (-1,264), and New Mexico (-1,055). 3 UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS WEEK ENDING September 25 September 18 Change September 11 Prior Year1 Initial Claims (SA) 362,000 351,000 +11,000 335,000 803,000 Initial Claims (NSA) 298,255 306,581 -8,326 265,902 732,912 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 340,000 335,750 +4,250 336,500 851,000 WEEK ENDING September 18 September 11 Change September 4 Prior Year1 Insured Unemployment (SA) 2,802,000 2,820,000 -18,000 2,715,000 11,381,000 Insured Unemployment (NSA) 2,460,965 2,509,919 -48,954 2,377,945 11,037,718 4-Wk Moving Average (SA) 2,797,250 2,798,000 -750 2,820,000 12,592,500 Insured Unemployment Rate (SA)2 2.0% 2.1% -0.1 2.0% 7.8% Insured Unemployment Rate (NSA)2 1.8% 1.8% 0.0 1.7% 7.6% INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING September 25 September 18 Change September 11 Prior Year1 Pandemic Unemployment 16,752 14,793 +1,959 23,037 450,768 Assistance WEEK ENDING September 18 September 11 Change Prior Year1 Federal Employees (UCFE) 758 736 +22 1,093 Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX) 454 452 +2 831 CONTINUED WEEKS CLAIMED FILED FOR UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED) WEEK ENDING September 11 September 4 Change Prior Year1 Regular State 2,500,927 2,366,632 +134,295 12,324,348 Federal Employees 8,481 7,816 +665 13,242 Newly Discharged Veterans 5,651 5,457 +194 14,142 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance3 1,059,248 4,896,125 -3,836,877 12,273,350 Pandemic Emergency UC4 991,813 3,644,555 -2,652,742 2,078,381 Extended Benefits5 431,340 287,704 +143,636 287,970 State Additional Benefits6 1,359 1,157 +202 2,343 STC / Workshare 7 28,762 40,860 -12,098 212,198 TOTAL8 5,027,581 11,250,306 -6,222,725 27,205,974 FOOTNOTES SA - Seasonally Adjusted Data, NSA - Not Seasonally Adjusted Data Continued weeks claimed represent all weeks of benefits claimed during the week being reported, and do not represent weeks claimed by unique individuals. 1. Prior year is comparable to most recent data. 2. Most recent week used covered employment of 137,027,194 as denominator. 3. Information on the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program can be found in UIPL 16-20: PUA Program information 4. Information on the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program can be found in Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL) 17-20: PEUC Program information 5. Information on the EB program can be found here: EB Program information 6. Some states maintain additional benefit programs for those claimants who exhaust regular benefits, and when applicable, extended benefits. Information on states that participate, and the extent of benefits paid, can be found starting on page 4-4 of this link: Extensions and Special Programs PDF 7. Information on STC/Worksharing can be found starting on page 9-10 of the following link: Extensions and Special Programs PDF 8. Totals include PUA Unemployment for the appropriate corresponding week. 4 Advance State Claims - Not Seasonally Adjusted Initial Claims Filed During Week Ended September 25 Insured Unemployment For Week Ended September 18 STATE Advance Prior Wk Change Advance Prior Wk Change Alabama 3,515 4,234 -719 5,064 7,077 -2,013 Alaska 1,400 1,237 163 7,529 8,764 -1,235 Arizona 3,875 8,280 -4,405 23,625 28,780 -5,155 Arkansas 984 1,555 -571 12,176 14,586 -2,410 California 86,792 68,814 17,978 503,379 541,670 -38,291 Colorado 1,880 2,728 -848 32,295 31,773 522 Connecticut 2,301 2,459 -158 32,602 34,877 -2,275 Delaware 589 716 -127 5,408 5,217 191 District of Columbia 7,401 5,638 1,763 11,224 17,066 -5,842 Florida 6,502 9,316 -2,814 48,717 50,438 -1,721 Georgia 5,123 6,564 -1,441 55,096 66,524 -11,428 Hawaii 4,066 3,526 540 16,054 14,250 1,804 Idaho 711 854 -143 2,689 3,142 -453 Illinois 8,063 9,366 -1,303 231,842 147,341 84,501 Indiana 3,440 3,867 -427 39,522 42,790 -3,268 Iowa 1,719 1,744 -25 10,156 10,448 -292 Kansas 1,179 1,205 -26 6,915 6,989 -74 Kentucky 3,584 4,271 -687 13,244 13,434 -190 Louisiana 3,510 7,107 -3,597 41,713 43,034 -1,321 Maine 489 558 -69 6,693 8,106 -1,413 Maryland 3,556 9,889 -6,333 40,163 45,206 -5,043 Massachusetts 4,599 7,132 -2,533 57,560 60,052 -2,492 Michigan 18,727 12,295 6,432 59,609 71,121 -11,512 Minnesota 5,778 3,660 2,118 53,589 52,869 720 Mississippi 1,142 1,598 -456 8,671 10,823 -2,152 Missouri 5,135 4,117 1,018 27,017 24,242 2,775 Montana 639 750 -111 3,335 3,779 -444 Nebraska 1,064 1,317 -253 4,202 4,219 -17 Nevada 4,152 2,393 1,759 33,664 38,423 -4,759 New Hampshire 363 436 -73 2,989 3,491 -502 New Jersey 7,012 8,463 -1,451 107,452 115,963 -8,511 New Mexico 1,705 1,972 -267 14,710 15,340 -630 New York 14,643 14,501 142 214,152 223,830 -9,678 North Carolina 3,557 3,610 -53 33,324 37,490 -4,166 North Dakota 253 225 28 1,634 1,697 -63 Ohio 9,622 13,065 -3,443 77,797 101,744 -23,947 Oklahoma 1,715 2,171 -456 17,807 21,320 -3,513 Oregon 6,122 7,936 -1,814 51,324 58,320 -6,996 Pennsylvania 11,235 11,139 96 121,064 106,374 14,690 Puerto Rico 921 1,041 -120 36,493 38,011 -1,518 Rhode Island 888 826 62 9,483 10,208 -725 South Carolina 1,133 1,625 -492 21,093 24,474 -3,381 South Dakota 100 170 -70 789 1,003 -214 Tennessee 3,836 4,317 -481 30,272 32,874 -2,602 Texas 20,206 16,861 3,345 149,742 139,207 10,535 Utah 1,223 1,160 63 6,457 6,650 -193 Vermont 347 348 -1 3,282 3,357 -75 Virgin Islands 99 116 -17 798 1,096 -298 Virginia 9,244 15,962 -6,718 48,965 37,569 11,396 Washington 5,076 5,012 64 74,889 77,449 -2,560 West Virginia 725 876 -151 8,092 8,227 -135 Wisconsin 6,013 7,265 -1,252 33,207 35,751 -2,544 Wyoming 302 294 8 1,397 1,434 -37 US Total 298,255 306,581 -8,326 2,460,965 2,509,919 -48,954 Note: Advance claims are not directly comparable to claims reported in prior weeks.