In the week ending Aug. 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 322,000, an increase of 6,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 316,000. The 4-week moving average was 312,500, an increase of 4,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 307,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent for the week ending Aug. 4, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 1.9 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Aug. 4 was 2,567,000, an increase of 17,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,550,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,548,000, an increase of 1,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,547,000.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 265,472 in the week ending Aug. 11, a decrease of 5,037 from the previous week. There were 256,259 initial claims in the comparable week in 2006.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent during the week ending Aug. 4, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,425,565, a decrease of 19,997 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.8 percent and the volume was 2,348,543.

Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending July 28.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,050 in the week ending Aug. 4, a decrease of 101 from the prior week. There were 1,703 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 9 from the preceding week.

There were 14,089 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending July 28, a decrease of 479 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 21,301, a decrease of 76 from the prior week.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending July 28 were in Puerto Rico (4.3 percent), New Jersey (3.0), Michigan (2.9), Pennsylvania (2.9), Rhode Island (2.9), Alaska (2.6), Arkansas (2.5), Massachusetts (2.5), Connecticut (2.4), and California (2.3).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Aug. 4 were in Kentucky (+4,731), Puerto Rico (+4,669), New Jersey (+1,196), Washington (+1,136), and Pennsylvania (+1,076), while the largest decreases were in California (-1,999), Michigan (-1,176), Tennessee (-732), Florida (-477), and Alabama (-366).