South By North Strategies, Ltd.

For the benefit week ending on May 15th, 12,900 North Carolinians filed initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits, and 165,281 individuals applied for state-funded continuing benefits. Compared to the prior week, there were fewer initial and continuing claims. These figures come from data released today by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Averaging new and continuing claims over a four-week period — a process that helps adjust for seasonal fluctuations and better illustrates trends — shows that an average of 12,804 initial claims were filed over the previous four weeks, along with an average of 168,830 continuing claims. Compared to the previous four-week period, initial claims were higher and continuing claims were lower.

One year ago, the four-week average for initial claims stood at 22,430 and the four-week average of continuing claims equaled 216,556.

The graph (right) shows the changes in unemployment insurance claims (as a share of covered employment) in North Carolina since the recession’s start in December 2007.

Both new and continuing claims appear to have peaked for this business cycle, and the four-week average of new claims has fallen to a level last seen in June 2008. Yet continuing claims remain at an elevated level, which suggests that unemployed individuals are finding it extremely difficult to find new positions.