Labor Department release November 20, 2008. Unemployment claims.

The U.S. Department of Labor released unemployment claims for the week ending November 15, 2008.

The Seasonally Adjusted Figures:

The advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 542,000, an increase of 27,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 515,000.  The 4-week moving average was 506,500, an increase of 15,750 from the previous week’s revised average of 490,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending Nov. 8, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 2.9 percent.

The advance number for continued insured unemployment during the week ending Nov. 8 was 4,012,000, an increase of 109,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 3,903,000.  The 4-week moving average was 3,867,000, an increase of 71,250 from the preceding week’s revised average of 3,795,750.

Non Seasonally Adjusted Figures:

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 511,941 in the week ending Nov. 15, a decrease of 26,717 from the previous week.  There were 323,124 initial claims in the comparable week in 2007.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent during the week ending Nov. 8, unchanged from the prior week.  The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming total unemployment insurance benefits in state programs totaled 3,518,151, an increase of 60,257 from the preceding week.  A year earlier, the rate was 1.7 percent and the volume was 2,293,829.

Key historical statistics:
Non seasonally adjusted insured unemployment ( continuing claims )

Nov. 11, 1967  continued unemployment claims were 952,000.
Nov. 16, 1968  continued unemployment claims were 909,000
Nov. 15, 1969  continued unemployment claims were 1,007,000
Nov. 14, 1970  continued unemployment claims were 2,007,000
Nov. 13, 1971  continued unemployment claims were 1,828,000
Nov. 11, 1972  continued unemployment claims were 1,457,000
Nov. 10, 1973  continued unemployment claims were 1,419,000
Nov. 16, 1974  continued unemployment claims were 2,437,000
Nov. 15, 1975  continued unemployment claims were 3,090,000
Nov. 13, 1976  continued unemployment claims were 2,690,000
Nov. 19, 1977  continued unemployment claims were 2,131,000
Nov. 18, 1978  continued unemployment claims were 1,854,000
Nov. 17, 1979  continued unemployment claims were 2,201,000
Nov. 15, 1980  continued unemployment claims were 3,027,000
Nov. 14, 1981  continued unemployment claims were 3,077,000
Nov. 13, 1982  continued unemployment claims were 4,221,000
Nov. 19, 1983  continued unemployment claims were 2,313,000
Nov. 17, 1984  continued unemployment claims were 2,105,000
Nov. 16, 1985  continued unemployment claims were 2,401,000
Nov. 15, 1986  continued unemployment claims were 2,435,000
Nov. 14, 1987  continued unemployment claims were 1,922,996
Nov. 19, 1988  continued unemployment claims were 1,594,634
Nov. 18, 1989  continued unemployment claims were 1,824,682
Nov. 17, 1990  continued unemployment claims were 2,378,735
Nov. 16, 1991  continued unemployment claims were 3,039,756
Nov. 14, 1992  continued unemployment claims were 2,724,779
Nov. 13, 1993  continued unemployment claims were 2,559,633
Nov. 19, 1994  continued unemployment claims were 2,041,379
Nov. 18, 1995  continued unemployment claims were 2,128,078
Nov. 16, 1996  continued unemployment claims were 2,220,879
Nov. 15, 1997  continued unemployment claims were 2,041,270
Nov. 14, 1998  continued unemployment claims were 2,002,794
Nov. 13, 1999  continued unemployment claims were 1,866,516
Nov. 18, 2000  continued unemployment claims were 1,898,521
Nov. 17, 2001  continued unemployment claims were 3,141,998
Nov. 16, 2002  continued unemployment claims were 3,263,052
Nov. 15, 2003  continued unemployment claims were 3,137,692
Nov. 13, 2004  continued unemployment claims were 2,528,643
Nov. 12, 2005  continued unemployment claims were 2,564,292
Nov. 18, 2006  continued unemployment claims were 2,074,608
Nov. 17, 2007  continued unemployment claims were 2,217,292
Nov. 08, 2008  continued unemployment claims were 3,518,151

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