New unemployment claims spiked again last week as seasonal layoffs continue to drive the surge. However, despite the high number, it is actually fewer claims than a year ago. For’the week of December 28, 2013, there were 2,234 new, regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance in Vermont. This is an increase of 928 from the previous week's total, and 273 fewer than they were a year ago.
Mathew Barewicz, economic and labor market information chief at the Vermont Department of Labor, said the unemployment claim pattern is typical this time of year in Vermont, he said, as the economy transitions from warm to cold weather labor requirements and also reflects temporary hires and layoffs.
Altogether 8,663 new and continuing claims were filed, an increase of1,286’ from a week ago and 1,051 fewer than a year ago. The Department also processed 678 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 50 fewer than the same number a week ago.
In addition, there were 25 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is 2 fewer than the week before. There were 3 Tier III claims, which is 2 fewer than a week ago. The Tier I, II and III programs expired on December 31, 2013. Congress would need to act to renew these extended benefit programs.
The total for all programs was 9,369 claims, 1,232 more than last week, but 1,544 fewer than the same time last year.
The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at:’http://www.vtlmi.info/. Previously released Unemployment Weekly Reports and other UI reports can be found at:’http://www.vtlmi.info/lmipub.htm#uc’
Vermont's unemployment rate fell one-tenth to 4.4 percent in November, the second consecutive month the rate has fallen one-tenth.’‘SEE’STORY.
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VERMONT UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CLAIMS
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JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
2007
43,886
39,605
39,655
44,346
25,710
21,136
26,724
20,177
17,544
18,627
23,991
38,692
2008
42,054
41,365
50,955
40,271
29,743
30,770
27,060
28,852
24,460
24,599
37,569
52,960
2009
62,386
66,821
88,717
72,392
68,054
61,889
53,707
55,849
39,011
37,528
51,900
53,562
2010
66,594
59,315
66,487
54,669
49,873
43,731
38,481
42,305
28,977
31,416
38,275
43,560
2011
61,943
49,795
50,262
45,903
42,647
30,566
30,483
31,076
24,114
25,637
27,268
30,895
2012
47,892
40,150
39,247
39,269
29,676
25,012
29,950
24,238
20,157
21,083
25,042
36,027
2013
40,139
36,997
40,386
35,097
26,702
25,196
25,237
19,718
18,792
18,192
21,067
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