Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report (12/08/2011)

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending December 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 381,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 404,000. The 4-week moving average was 393,250, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised average of 396,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent for the week ending November 26, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending November 26 was 3,583,000, a decrease of 174,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,757,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,667,250, a decrease of 20,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,687,750.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 523,642 in the week ending December 3, an increase of 151,002 from the previous week. There were 585,711 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.

Read more: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/ui/eta20111720.htm

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Good morning, Freepers and DUers alike. It is time once again for the weekly unemployment insurance initial claims report.

Here for your viewing pleasure are this week's data, brought to you as a nonpartisan public service. This is just one example of the good work your civil servants are performing for you.

That word "initial" is important. The report does not count all claims, just the new ones filed this week.

Oooh, huge decrease this week, down 23,000.

[LiberalEsto]

1. That's 23,000 temporary cashiers, mall Santas,

stock clerks and UPS package handlers who will be working until the post-holiday gift returns are over.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[moose65]

3. The data is seasonally adjusted...

to account for the seasonal hiring.

[dmallind]

4. Not only that, but the measurand is unrelated to seasonal hiring

This is a number of layoffs. The only way it could be connected to seasonal work is if fewer people already employed by construction companies or retail etc were let go than has been typical of late. People getting holiday season jobs are irrelevant to this statistic. It's a measure of terminations, not hires.

I know doomers need to try any potential distortion to piss over even vaguely good economic news, but they would be more effective if they used possible distortions. It's just like the buffoons who think that a decrease in unemplyment rates can be "explained" by the completely separate and irrelevant expiration of benefits. If you're going to try to black-cloud a decrease in layoffs, at least try to make up a story that relates to layoffs.

[Po_d Mainiac]

5. a 30% seasonal adjustment?

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 523,642 in the week ending December 3, an increase of 151,002 from the previous week. There were 585,711 initial claims in the comparable week in 2010.

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

:puke:

[pinqy]

6. The average increase of claims for the 1st week of december

is around 43%. So, yes, a a large seasonal adjustment is certainly called for.