New initial Unemployment at 390,000 (DOL avoids 403000 by revising prior)

http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/ui/current.htm


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending Oct. 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 390,000, an increase of 21,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 369,000. The 4-week moving average was 404,500, an increase of 15,750 from the previous week's revised average of 388,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent for the week ending Sept. 24, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate of 2.2 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Sept. 24 was 2,905,000, an increase of 118,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,787,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,732,000, an increase of 83,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,648,250.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 312,394 in the week ending Oct. 1, an increase of 19,569 from the previous week. There were 279,591 initial claims in the comparable week in 2004.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent during the week ending Sept. 24, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,422,567, an increase of 72,842 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 1.9 percent and the volume was 2,368,048.<snip>


Extended benefits were not available in any state during the week ending Sept. 17.


http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/06/news/economy/jobless_claims.reut/index.htm

Jobless claims blown higher by storms
Government report shows new filings climbed 21,000 last week; storm claims stand at 363,000.
October 6, 2005: 8:39 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits rose by 21,000 last week as the volume of hurricane-related applications increased, government data showed Thursday.

Initial claims for state unemployment aid rose to 390,000 from an upwardly revised 369,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said, compared with Wall Street forecasts for 370,000 new claims. The prior week's claims were initially reported at 356,000. <snip>

I am just not smart enough to be a Republican. How do you adjust numbers? Either the number is 403,000 or it is 390,000. Either you are unemployed or you are not, what do we do with the "adjusted" unemployed?
:shrug:

data to provide a 'better picture' of where things really stand. The only problem is the 'better picture' has nothing to do with reality or truth.