News Release

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 259,545 in the week ending February 4, a
decrease of 19,099 (or -6.9 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 5,892 (or -2.1
percent) from the previous week. There were 290,796 initial claims in the comparable week in 2016.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.8 percent during the week ending January 28, unchanged from the prior
week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,481,320, a decrease of 13,265
(or -0.5 percent) from the preceding week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 30,950 (or -1.2 percent) from the
previous week. A year earlier the rate was 2.0 percent and the volume was 2,680,598.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending January 21 was 2,538,312, an increase of 32,996
from the previous week. There were 2,739,533 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2016.
No state was triggered "on" the Extended Benefits program during the week ending January 21.
Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,556 in the week ending January 28, an increase of
549 from the prior week. There were 932 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 156 from the preceding
week.
There were 14,785 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending January 21, an increase of 1,559
from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 12,303, an increase of 40 from the prior week.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending January 21 were in Alaska (4.8), Connecticut (3.1), Montana (3.1),
New Jersey (3.1), Rhode Island (2.8), Illinois (2.7), Massachusetts (2.7), Pennsylvania (2.7), Puerto Rico (2.7), and California (2.6).