January 20, 2022

The advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims in the week ending January 15 was 286,000, a 55,000 increase from the previous week’s revised level. The prior week’s figure was raised by 1,000 points, from m 230,000 to 231,000. The 4-week moving average was 231,000, an increase of 20,000 from the corrected average from the prior week. The previous week’s average was raised by 250 points, from 210,750 to 211,000.

For the week ending January 8, the advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2 percent, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the previous week’s unrevised rate. The advance figure for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for the week ending January 8 was 1,635,000, up 84,000 from the previous week’s revised figure. The previous week’s figure was lowered by 8,000 points, from 1,559,000 to 1,551,000. The four-week moving average was 1,664,250, a 55,250 decrease from the previous week’s revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since April 27, 2019, when it was 1,663,500. The previous week’s average was lowered by 2,000 points, from 1,721,500 to 1,719,500.

The unadjusted advance number of actual first claims under state programs totalled 337,417 in the week ending January 15, down 83,418 (or -19.8 percent) from the previous week. Seasonal considerations predicted a 138,773 (or -33.0 percent) decrease over the previous week. In the similar week in 2021, there were 937,313 initial claims.

During the week ending January 8, the advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.5 percent, little changed from the previous week. The advance unadjusted level of insured unemployment in-state programs was 2,075,750, a 26,126 (or 1.3 percent) rise from the previous week. Seasonal considerations predicted a 57,330 (or -2.8 percent) decrease over the previous week. The rate was 3.9 percent a year ago, and the volume was 5,479,170.

For the week ending January 1, the total number of continuing weeks claimed for benefits in all programs was 2,128,752, an increase of 180,114 from the previous week. In the equivalent week in 2021, there were 16,946,982 weekly claims for benefits in all programs. 

Extended Benefits were available in the following two states during the week ending January 1, New Jersey, and New Mexico.

In the week ending January 8, there were 1,479 initial claims for UI benefits made by former Federal civilian employees, an increase of 779 from the previous week. There were 458 initial claims made by recently discharged veterans, an increase of 119 from the previous week.

In the week ending January 1, there were 10,599 continuing weeks claims made by former Federal civilian employees, an increase of 980 from the previous week. The number of newly released veterans claiming benefits was 4,748, an increase of 197 from the previous week.

Alaska (3.1), Minnesota (2.8), Kentucky (2.7), New Jersey (2.6), New York (2.6), Rhode Island (2.5), California (2.4), Connecticut (2.4), Massachusetts (2.3), and Oregon (2.3) had the highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending January 1.

Initial claims increased the most in n California (+11,295), New York (+10,639), Texas (+10,437), Kentucky (+8,476), and Missouri (+7,768), while the largest decreases were in Massachusetts (-2,079), Connecticut (-1,437), Michigan (-1,158), New Hampshire (-424), and Rhode Island (-424).

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