The following is the unedited transcript of the news release from the U.S. Department of Labor.


SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Nov. 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 308,000, a decrease of 20,000 from the previous week''s revised figure of 328,000. The 4-week moving average was 311,250, a decrease of 250 from the previous week''s revised average of 311,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9% for the week ending Oct. 28, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week''s revised rate of 1.8%.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Oct. 28 was 2,448,000, an increase of 43,000 from the preceding week''s revised level of 2,405,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,435,250, an increase of 5,000 from the preceding week''s revised average of 2,430,250.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 324,979 in the week ending Nov. 4, an increase of 23,942 from the previous week. There were 340,491 initial claims in the comparable week in 2005.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.6 percent during the week ending Oct. 28, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,154,627, an increase of 66,971 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.9 percent and the volume was 2,416,475.

Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending Oct. 21.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,223 in the week ending Oct. 28, a decrease of 268 from the prior week. There were 1,785 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 148 from the preceding week.

There were 14,792 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Oct. 21, a decrease of 1,425 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 25,295, an increase of 38 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Oct. 21 were in Puerto Rico (3.5 percent), Alaska (3.1), Michigan (2.7), Arkansas (2.3), New Jersey (2.3), Pennsylvania (2.3), Oregon (2.1), South Carolina (2.1), California (2.0), Connecticut (2.0), and Massachusetts (2.0).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Oct. 28 were in California (+3,385), Missouri (+3,014), Kentucky (+2,095), Virginia (+1,972), and Minnesota (+1,254), while the largest decreases were in Michigan (-3,311), Illinois (-2,065), Florida (-948), North Dakota (-931), and Puerto Rico (-867).


Available at:

http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/ui/current.htm