Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,046 in the week ending Feb. 2, a decrease of 125 from the prior week. There were 1,563 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 188 from the preceding week.
There were 17,684 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending Jan. 26, a decrease of 1,593 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 23,943, an increase of 474 from the prior week.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Jan. 26 were in Alaska (4.9 percent), Michigan (4.5), Rhode Island (4.0), Idaho (3.9), Wisconsin (3.9), Pennsylvania (3.8), Oregon (3.6), New Jersey (3.5), Massachusetts (3.4), Illinois (3.3), and Vermont (3.3).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Feb. 2 were in Washington (+2,710), Pennsylvania (+2,387), Oregon (+2,273), Ohio (+2,215), and Florida (+2,041), while the largest decreases were in California (-2,849), Michigan (-1,723), Maryland (-1,050), Iowa (-870), and Massachusetts (-690).