US Unemployment Claims Fall

The 4-week moving average was 293,500, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since February 25, 2006 when it was 290,750. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 297,250 to 297,500.

There were no special factors impacting this week's initial claims.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending July 26, unchanged
from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the
week ending July 26 was 2,518,000, a decrease of 24,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's
level was revised up 3,000 from 2,539,000 to 2,542,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,519,000, a decrease of
17,000 from the previous week's revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since July 7, 2007 when it was
2,509,250. The previous week's average was revised up by 750 from 2,535,250 to 2,536,000.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 247,133 in the week ending August 2, a decrease of 10,492 (or -4.1 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected an increase of 1,514 (or 0.6 percent) from the previous week. There were 288,861 initial claims in the comparable week in 2013.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent during the week ending July 26, unchanged from the
prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,480,488, a
decrease of 43,518 (or -1.7 percent) from the preceding week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 20,334 (or
-0.8 percent) from the previous week. A year earlier the rate was 2.3 percent and the volume was 2,952,831.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending July 19 was 2,576,492, a decrease of
41,623 from the previous week. There were 4,514,382 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week
in 2013.

No state was triggered "on" the Extended Benefits program during the week ending July 19.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,126 in the week ending July 26, a decrease of 303 from the prior week. There were 1,811 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 44 from the preceding week.

There were 14,431 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending July 19, a decrease of 148 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 23,864, a decrease of 222 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 19 were in Puerto Rico (4.2), New Jersey (3.4), Alaska (3.2), Connecticut (3.1), Pennsylvania (3.0), California (2.8), Massachusetts (2.6), Nevada (2.6), Rhode Island (2.6), Illinois (2.3), Virgin Islands (2.3), and Maryland (2.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending July 26 were in Washington (+426), New Jersey (+346), Maryland (+119), Rhode Island (+96), and Oregon (+82), while the largest decreases were in Michigan (-3,773), Ohio (-2,701), New York (-2,375), South Carolina (-2,263), and Pennsylvania (-2,224).