Funding provides 13 more weeks of unemployment insurance
CHICAGO – April 16, 2009. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) will fund an additional 13 weeks of unemployment insurance for Illinois
unemployed workers who otherwise would have exhausted their benefits. The news comes after the Illinois
Department of Employment Security announced that the Illinois unemployment rate rose to 9.1 percent last
month.
“The proud workers of Illinois deserve this additional help to weather the storm of this national
recession,” said Governor Quinn. “We need to do more than just extend unemployment benefits – we need to
pass legislation to put the people of Illinois back to work. Two weeks ago I signed the Jump Start Capital Plan
to start projects that put people to work; now I am working with the General Assembly to pass the rest of the
Illinois Jobs Now! plan which will support 340,000 jobs.”
The Extended Benefits Program provides up to 13 additional weeks of unemployment insurance to
workers who have exhausted their 26 weeks of benefits through the state and the additional 33 weeks
provided through federal emergency extensions approved by Congress. Without the Extended Benefits
Program, Illinois workers who exhausted their regular and emergency benefits would no longer receive
unemployment benefits through the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).
The Extended Benefits Program activated April 5 after the insured unemployment rate exceeded 5
percent. The extended benefits automatically will become payable for weeks beginning on or after April 12.
With extended benefits come more rigorous federal requirements. In order to qualify for extended
benefits, claimants must document their job search, which must generally include at least five personal
contacts with prospective employers each week and three work applications each week. Those eligible for
extended benefits will receive more detail in the mail and do not need to contact the department. Details are
also available at www.ides.state.il.us.
“To assist working families with the more stringent documentation rules, the Department has set up a
centralized customer service center and will provide individual notices to claimants along with required forms
necessary to receive the benefit payment,” IDES Director Maureen O’Donnell said.
MARCH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE TOPS NINE PERCENT
The Illinois seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March is 9.1 percent, the highest level since November 1985, according to data released today by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The March rate is +0.5 percent higher than February and the sixth consecutive month to record an increase.
Total non-farm payroll declined by –39,300 jobs in March 2009, the second largest over-the-
month decrease on record (back to 1990). In March, the number of unemployed people in Illinois increased to 596,000 (+27,400), the highest level reported since September 1983.
“As the recession continues, so do our efforts to improve customer service and to inform people about programs that assess an individual’s work skills so they can better prepare themselves when the economy turns around,” IDES Director Maureen O’Donnell said. “We encourage workers to take advantage of this time by learning new skills and positioning themselves for better opportunities as this economy improves.”
Nationally, the total number of unemployed grew to 13.2 million in March. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 8.5 percent, its highest level in 25 years. National payroll employment declined for the 15th consecutive month, dropping by -663,000 jobs and bringing total national job losses to -5.1 million since the recession began in December 2007.
In Illinois, the Manufacturing sector lost -14,200 jobs in March, its third largest over-the-month reduction since January 1992. In the last year, this sector has dropped by -60,800 jobs, more than 9 percent of its total workforce. The Professional and Business Services sector reported -13,200 fewer workers, the second largest decrease on record and its third decline in excess of -10,000 in the last five months.
The IDES administers federally funded employment services and unemployment insurance programs through its nearly 60 offices, including the Illinois workNet Centers. IDES also receives federal grants to provide and analyze labor market statistics and information.
Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
March
2009
February
2009
March
2008
Illinois 9.1% 8.6%* 6.0%*
U.S. 8.5% 8.1% 5.1%
* Revised
Illinois Seasonally Adjusted Non-Farm Jobs – by Major Industry
Industry Title
March*
2009
February**
2009
March**
2008
Over the
Month
Change
Over the
Year
Change
Total Non-Farm 5,744,300 5,783,600 5,976,600 -39,300 -232,300
Mining 10,100 10,200 9,900 -100 200
Construction 233,200 235,400 263,200 -2,200 -30,000
Manufacturing 602,400 616,600 666,500 -14,200 -64,100
Trade, Transportation, & Utilities 1,170,400 1,177,200 1,213,100 -6,800 -42,700
Information 111,300 111,400 116,100 -100 -4,800
Financial Activities 380,600 384,200 395,700 -3,600 -15,100
Professional and Business Services 803,000 816,200 870,900 -13,200 -67,900
Educational and Health Services 803,100 803,900 791,700 -800 11,400
Leisure and Hospitality 514,600 514,000 533,300 600 -18,700
Other Services 261,700 260,700 262,800 1,000 -1,100
Government 853,900 853,800 853,400 100 500
Total non-farm payroll declined by –39,300 jobs in March 2009, the second largest over-the-
month decrease on record (back to 1990). In March, the number of unemployed people in Illinois increased to 596,000 (+27,400), the highest level reported since September 1983.
“As the recession continues, so do our efforts to improve customer service and to inform people about programs that assess an individual’s work skills so they can better prepare themselves when the economy turns around,” IDES Director Maureen O’Donnell said. “We encourage workers to take advantage of this time by learning new skills and positioning themselves for better opportunities as this economy improves.”
Nationally, the total number of unemployed grew to 13.2 million in March. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 8.5 percent, its highest level in 25 years. National payroll employment declined for the 15th consecutive month, dropping by -663,000 jobs and bringing total national job losses to -5.1 million since the recession began in December 2007.
In Illinois, the Manufacturing sector lost -14,200 jobs in March, its third largest over-the-month reduction since January 1992. In the last year, this sector has dropped by -60,800 jobs, more than 9 percent of its total workforce. The Professional and Business Services sector reported -13,200 fewer workers, the second largest decrease on record and its third decline in excess of -10,000 in the last five months.
The IDES administers federally funded employment services and unemployment insurance programs through its nearly 60 offices, including the Illinois workNet Centers. IDES also receives federal grants to provide and analyze labor market statistics and information.
Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
March
2009
February
2009
March
2008
Illinois 9.1% 8.6%* 6.0%*
U.S. 8.5% 8.1% 5.1%
* Revised
Illinois Seasonally Adjusted Non-Farm Jobs – by Major Industry
Industry Title
March*
2009
February**
2009
March**
2008
Over the
Month
Change
Over the
Year
Change
Total Non-Farm 5,744,300 5,783,600 5,976,600 -39,300 -232,300
Mining 10,100 10,200 9,900 -100 200
Construction 233,200 235,400 263,200 -2,200 -30,000
Manufacturing 602,400 616,600 666,500 -14,200 -64,100
Trade, Transportation, & Utilities 1,170,400 1,177,200 1,213,100 -6,800 -42,700
Information 111,300 111,400 116,100 -100 -4,800
Financial Activities 380,600 384,200 395,700 -3,600 -15,100
Professional and Business Services 803,000 816,200 870,900 -13,200 -67,900
Educational and Health Services 803,100 803,900 791,700 -800 11,400
Leisure and Hospitality 514,600 514,000 533,300 600 -18,700
Other Services 261,700 260,700 262,800 1,000 -1,100
Government 853,900 853,800 853,400 100 500
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Federal Stimulus Plan
The Federal Stimulus Plan has been in the news a lot lately. So what does it mean for people receiving unemployment benefits in Illinois? For more information on the Stimulus Plan and its effects on unemployment, including the $25 weekly supplement to eligible individuals and federal tax changes continue reading...
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is now law and
was effective February 22, 2009. Here are some basic facts about how
this law affects Unemployment Insurance.
The Federal Additional Compensation
The recently enacted Federal Additional Compensation Program (FAC)
provides a $25 weekly supplement to individuals who are eligible to
receive unemployment benefits under federal or state law.
FAC is payable effective February 22, 2009. Therefore, the weekending
February 28, 2009 is the first week your unemployment
payment will reflect the $25 FAC. Payment of FAC will continue
through the week ending July 3, 2010 as long as your benefit year was
established prior to January 1, 2010 and you continue to be eligible for
unemployment benefits.
FAC benefits are subject to federal and state taxes. If you are paid
FAC to which you were not entitled, an overpayment will be
established.
An individual may not receive a FAC supplement if they are ineligible
for unemployment benefits.
YOUR FAC PAYMENT WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE INCLUDED WITH YOUR
REGULAR PAYMENT AND IDENTIFIED SEPARATELY ON THE PAYMENT
NOTICE.
Federal tax exemption:
The first $2,400 of UI benefits received during the 2009 tax year are
not subject to federal taxes. If you wish to change your withholding
status on your current claim, please complete the TAX-2 form and fax
the form to 1-217-557-2067 or mail the form to:
IDES
850 E Madison
First Floor
Springfield, IL 62794-9295
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is now law and
was effective February 22, 2009. Here are some basic facts about how
this law affects Unemployment Insurance.
The Federal Additional Compensation
The recently enacted Federal Additional Compensation Program (FAC)
provides a $25 weekly supplement to individuals who are eligible to
receive unemployment benefits under federal or state law.
FAC is payable effective February 22, 2009. Therefore, the weekending
February 28, 2009 is the first week your unemployment
payment will reflect the $25 FAC. Payment of FAC will continue
through the week ending July 3, 2010 as long as your benefit year was
established prior to January 1, 2010 and you continue to be eligible for
unemployment benefits.
FAC benefits are subject to federal and state taxes. If you are paid
FAC to which you were not entitled, an overpayment will be
established.
An individual may not receive a FAC supplement if they are ineligible
for unemployment benefits.
YOUR FAC PAYMENT WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE INCLUDED WITH YOUR
REGULAR PAYMENT AND IDENTIFIED SEPARATELY ON THE PAYMENT
NOTICE.
Federal tax exemption:
The first $2,400 of UI benefits received during the 2009 tax year are
not subject to federal taxes. If you wish to change your withholding
status on your current claim, please complete the TAX-2 form and fax
the form to 1-217-557-2067 or mail the form to:
IDES
850 E Madison
First Floor
Springfield, IL 62794-9295
Sunday, March 1, 2009
grand ave. chicago ides unemployment office
Lots of requests for this:
Grand Avenue
(773) 227-7117 3500
West Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60651-4009
Grand Avenue
(773) 227-7117 3500
West Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60651-4009
Monday, February 16, 2009
IDES offices are closed on Monday, February 16, 2009
IDES offices are closed on Monday, February 16, 2009, in observance of the Presidents Day holiday.
THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION: JANUARY 2009
Nonfarm payroll employment fell sharply in January (-598,000) and the unemployment rate rose from
7.2 to 7.6 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Payroll
employment has declined by 3.6 million since the start of the recession in December 2007; about one-half of
this decline occurred in the past 3 months. In January, job losses were large and widespread across nearly all
major industry sectors.
Establishment and Household Data Changes
The establishment survey data in this release have been revised as a result of the annual
benchmarking process and the updating of seasonal adjustment factors. See the note beginning
on page 6 for more information on the revisions.
In addition, household survey data for January 2009 reflect updated population estimates.
See the note on page 7 for more information. Also, January 2009 industry data shown in table
A-11 of this release have been converted to the 2007 Census Industry Classification System.
Historical data have not been revised.
Unemployment (Household Survey Data)
Both the number of unemployed persons (11.6 million) and the unemployment rate (7.6 percent) rose in
January. Over the past 12 months, the number of unemployed persons has increased by 4.1 million and the
unemployment rate has risen by 2.7 percentage points. (See table A-1.)
The unemployment rate continued to trend upward in January for adult men (7.6 percent), adult women
(6.2 percent), whites (6.9 percent), blacks (12.6 percent), and Hispanics (9.7 percent). The jobless rate for
teenagers was unchanged at 20.8 percent. The unemployment rate for Asians was 6.2 percent in January, not
seasonally adjusted. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)
Among the unemployed, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs increased to
7.0 million in January. This measure has grown by 3.2 million during the last 12 months. (See table A-8.)
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at 2.6 million
in January. Over the past 12 months, the number of long-term unemployed was up by 1.3 million. The
number of persons unemployed less than 5 weeks rose to 3.7 million in January. (See table A-9.)
Total Employment and the Labor Force (Household Survey Data)
The civilian labor force participation rate, at 65.5 percent in January, has edged down in recent months.
The employment-population ratio declined by 0.5 percentage point to 60.5 percent over the month, and by 2.4
percentage points over the year. (See table A-1.)
The number of persons who worked part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary
part-time workers) was essentially unchanged in January at 7.8 million; however, this measure was up by 3.1
million over the past 12 months. Included in this category are persons who would like to work full time but
were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find full-time
jobs. (See table A-5.)
Persons Not in the Labor Force (Household Survey Data)
About 2.1 million persons (not seasonally adjusted) were marginally attached to the labor force in January,
about 400,000 more than 12 months earlier. These individuals wanted and were available for work and had
looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not
searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. Among the marginally attached, there were 734,000
discouraged workers in January, up by about 270,000 from a year earlier. Discouraged workers are persons not
currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. The other 1.4 million persons
marginally attached to the labor force in January had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey
for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibilities. (See table A-13.)
Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey Data)
Total nonfarm payroll employment fell sharply (-598,000) in January. Since the recession began in
December 2007, 3.6 million jobs have been lost, with about half of the decrease occurring in the last 3 months.
In January, employment declined in nearly all major industries, while health care and private education added
jobs. (See table B-1.)
4
Manufacturing employment fell by 207,000 in January, the largest 1-month decline since October 1982.
In January, durable goods manufacturing lost 157,000 jobs, with notable decreases in fabricated metal products
(-37,000), motor vehicles and parts (-31,000), and machinery (-22,000). Employment in nondurable goods
manufacturing declined by 50,000 over the month.
Construction lost 111,000 jobs in January. Employment in the industry has fallen by about 1.0 million
since peaking in January 2007. Employment fell across most component industries over the month.
The temporary help industry lost 76,000 jobs in January. Since its recent peak in December 2006, temporary
help employment has declined by 695,000. Professional and technical services lost 29,000 jobs in
January.
Retail trade employment fell by 45,000 in January and by 592,000 since a peak in November 2007. In
January, employment declined in automobile dealerships (-14,000), building material and garden supply stores
(-10,000), department stores (-9,000), and furniture and home furnishing stores (-7,000). Over the month,
wholesale trade employment fell by 31,000.
Transportation and warehousing lost 44,000 jobs in January and 202,000 since the start of the recession.
Most of the decline occurred over the last 5 months. In January, employment fell in truck transportation
(-25,000), support activities for transportation (-9,000), and couriers and messengers (-4,000).
Employment in financial activities declined by 42,000 over the month and by 388,000 since a peak in
December 2006. In January, job losses occurred in securities, commodity contracts, and investments (-15,000)
and in credit intermediation (-10,000).
Health care employment continued to trend up in January with a gain of 19,000. Employment gains in the
industry averaged 30,000 a month in 2008. Employment in private education rose by 33,000 over the month.
The change in total nonfarm employment for November was revised from -584,000 to -597,000, and the
change for December was revised from -524,000 to -577,000. Monthly revisions result from additional sample
reports and the monthly recalculation of seasonal factors. This month, the annual benchmarking process also
contributed to these revisions.
Weekly Hours (Establishment Survey Data)
In January, the average workweek for production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls
remained at 33.3 hours, seasonally adjusted. Both the manufacturing workweek and factory overtime decreased
by 0.1 hour over the month, to 39.8 and 2.9 hours, respectively. (See table B-2.)
The index of aggregate weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory workers on nonfarm payrolls fell
by 0.7 percent in January. The manufacturing index declined by 2.1 percent over the month. (See table B-5.)
Hourly and Weekly Earnings (Establishment Survey Data)
In January, average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls
rose by 5 cents, or 0.3 percent, seasonally adjusted. This followed gains of 7 cents in December and 6 cents in
5
November. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings increased by 3.9 percent, and average weekly
earnings rose by 2.7 percent. (See table B-3.)
______________________________
The Employment Situation for February 2009 is scheduled to be released on Friday, March 6,
at 8:30 A.M. (EST).
6
Revisions to Establishment Survey Data
In accordance with annual practice, the establishment survey data have been revised to reflect comprehensive
universe counts of payroll jobs, or benchmarks. These counts are derived principally from unemployment
insurance tax records compiled by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program for March
2008. As a result of the benchmark process, all not seasonally adjusted data series were subject to revision from
April 2007 forward, the time period since the last benchmark was established. In addition, with this release, the
seasonally adjusted establishment survey data from January 2004 forward were subject to revision due to the
introduction of updated seasonal adjustment factors.
Table B presents revised total nonfarm employment data on a seasonally adjusted basis for January through
December 2008. The revised data for April 2008 forward incorporate the effect of applying the rate of change
measured by the sample to the new benchmark level, as well as updated net business birth/death model adjustments
and new seasonal adjustment factors. The November and December 2008 revisions also reflect the
routine incorporation of additional sample receipts into the November final and December second preliminary
estimates. The total nonfarm employment level for March 2008 was revised downward by 89,000 (17,000 on a
seasonally adjusted basis). The previously published level for December 2008 was revised downward by
172,000 (311,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis).
An article that discusses the benchmark and post-benchmark revisions, as well as all revised historical
Current Employment Statistics (CES) data, can be accessed through the CES homepage at
http://www.bls.gov/ces/. Information on the revisions released today also may be obtained by calling
(202) 691-6555.
Table B. Revisions in total nonfarm employment, January-December 2008,
seasonally adjusted
(In thousands)
2008
January ....................... 138,002 138,080 -76 -72 4
February ..................... 137,919 137,936 -83 -144 -61
March ......................... 137,831 137,814 -88 -122 -34
April ........................... 137,764 137,654 -67 -160 -93
May ............................ 137,717 137,517 -47 -137 -90
June ............................ 137,617 137,356 -100 -161 -61
July ............................. 137,550 137,228 -67 -128 -61
August ........................ 137,423 137,053 -127 -175 -48
September ................... 137,020 136,732 -403 -321 82
October ....................... 136,597 136,352 -423 -380 43
November ................... 136,013 135,755 -584 -597 -13
December p ……...… 135,489 135,178 -524 -577 -53
p = preliminary.
Levels Over-the-month changes
Year and month As
previously
published
As revised
As
previously
published
As revised Difference
7
Adjustments to Population Estimates for the Household Survey
Effective with data for January 2009, updated population estimates have been used in the household survey.
Population estimates for the household survey are developed by the U.S. Census Bureau. Each year, the Census
Bureau updates the estimates to reflect new information and assumptions about the growth of the population
during the decade. The change in population reflected in the new estimates results primarily from adjustments
for net international migration, updated vital statistics information, and some methodological changes in the
estimation process.
In accordance with our usual practice, BLS will not revise the official household survey estimates for
December 2008 and earlier months. To show the impact of the population adjustment, however, differences in
selected December 2008 labor force series based on the old and new population estimates are shown in table C.
The adjustment decreased the estimated size of the civilian noninstitutional population in December by 483,000,
the civilian labor force by 449,000, and employment by 407,000; the new population estimates had a negligible
impact on unemployment rates and other percentage estimates. Data users are cautioned that these annual
population adjustments affect the comparability of household data series over time. Estimates of large levels,
such as total labor force and employment are impacted most. Table D shows the effect of the introduction of
new population estimates on the changes in selected labor force measures between December 2008 and January
2009. More detailed information on the population adjustments and their effect on national labor force
estimates are available at http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps09adj.pdf.
Table C. Effect of the updated population controls on December 2008 estimates by sex, race, and
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, not seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
Category Total Men White Asian
Civilian noninstitutional population … -483 -295 -188 -242 -43 -170 -319
Civilian labor force ………………… -449 -289 -160 -267 -38 -121 -264
Employed ………………………… -407 -260 -146 -239 -33 -116 -238
Unemployed ……………………… -42 -28 -14 -28 -5 -6 -27
Unemployment rate …………… .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0
Women
Black or
African
American
Hispanic
or Latino
ethnicity
NOTE: Detail for men and women may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates for the above race
groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all
races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
8
Table D. December 2008-January 2009 changes in selected labor force measures, with
adjustments for population control effects
(Numbers in thousands)
Category
TOTAL
Civilian noninstitutional population ……… -296 -483 187
Civilian labor force ……………………… -731 -449 -282
Participation rate ……………………… -.2 -.1 -.1
Employed ……………………………… -1,239 -407 -832
Employment-population ratio ………… -.5 .0 -.5
Unemployed …………………………… 508 -42 550
Unemployment rate …………………… .4 .0 .4
2009 population
control effect
Dec.-Jan. change,
as published
Dec.-Jan. change,
after removing
the population
control effect 1
1 This Dec.-Jan. change is calculated by subtracting the population control effect from the published overthe-
month change.
9
Frequently Asked Questions about Employment and Unemployment Estimates
Why are there two monthly measures of employment?
The household survey and establishment survey both produce sample-based estimates of employment
and both have strengths and limitations. The establishment survey employment series has a
smaller margin of error on the measurement of month-to-month change than the household survey
because of its much larger sample size. An over-the-month employment change of 107,000 is statistically
significant in the establishment survey, while the threshold for a statistically significant change in
the household survey is about 400,000. However, the household survey has a more expansive scope
than the establishment survey because it includes the self-employed, unpaid family workers, agricultural
workers, and private household workers, who are excluded by the establishment survey. The
household survey also provides estimates of employment for demographic groups.
Are undocumented immigrants counted in the surveys?
Neither the establishment nor household survey is designed to identify the legal status of workers.
Thus, while it is likely that both surveys include at least some undocumented immigrants, it is not
possible to determine how many are counted in either survey. The household survey does include
questions about whether respondents were born outside the United States. Data from these questions
show that foreign-born workers accounted for 15.7 percent of the labor force in 2007 and 47.7 percent
of the net increase in the labor force from 2000 to 2007.
Why does the establishment survey have revisions?
The establishment survey revises published estimates to improve its data series by incorporating
additional information that was not available at the time of the initial publication of the estimates.
The establishment survey revises its initial monthly estimates twice, in the immediately succeeding
2 months, to incorporate additional sample receipts from respondents in the survey and recalculated
seasonal adjustment factors. For more information on the monthly revisions, please visit
http://www.bls.gov/ces/cesrevinfo.htm.
On an annual basis, the establishment survey incorporates a benchmark revision that re-anchors
estimates to nearly complete employment counts available from unemployment insurance tax records.
The benchmark helps to control for sampling and modeling errors in the estimates. For more information
on the annual benchmark revision, please visit http://www.bls.gov/web/cesbmart.htm.
Does the establishment survey sample include small firms?
Yes; about 40 percent of the establishment survey sample is comprised of business establishments
with fewer than 20 employees. The establishment survey sample is designed to maximize the reliability
of the total nonfarm employment estimate; firms from all size classes and industries are appropriately
sampled to achieve that goal.
Does the establishment survey account for employment from new businesses?
Yes; monthly establishment survey estimates include an adjustment to account for the net employment
change generated by business births and deaths. The adjustment comes from an econometric
model that forecasts the monthly net jobs impact of business births and deaths based on the actual past
10
values of the net impact that can be observed with a lag from the Quarterly Census of Employment and
Wages. The establishment survey uses modeling rather than sampling for this purpose because the survey
is not immediately able to bring new businesses into the sample. There is an unavoidable lag between
the birth of a new firm and its appearance on the sampling frame and availability for selection.
BLS adds new businesses to the survey twice a year.
Is the count of unemployed persons limited to just those people receiving unemployment insurance
benefits?
No; the estimate of unemployment is based on a monthly sample survey of households. All persons
who are without jobs and are actively seeking and available to work are included among the unemployed.
(People on temporary layoff are included even if they do not actively seek work.) There is no requirement
or question relating to unemployment insurance benefits in the monthly survey.
Does the official unemployment rate exclude people who have stopped looking for work?
Yes; however, there are separate estimates of persons outside the labor force who want a job,
including those who have stopped looking because they believe no jobs are available (discouraged
workers). In addition, alternative measures of labor underutilization (discouraged workers and other
groups not officially counted as unemployed) are published each month in the Employment Situation
news release.
Technical Note
This news release presents statistics from two major
surveys, the Current Population Survey (household survey)
and the Current Employment Statistics survey (establishment
survey). The household survey provides the information on
the labor force, employment, and unemployment that appears
in the A tables, marked HOUSEHOLD DATA. It is a sample
survey of about 60,000 households conducted by the U.S.
Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The establishment survey provides the information on
the employment, hours, and earnings of workers on nonfarm
payrolls that appears in the B tables, marked ESTABLISHMENT
DATA. This information is collected from payroll
records by BLS in cooperation with state agencies. The
sample includes about 160,000 businesses and government
agencies covering approximately 400,000 individual worksites.
The active sample includes about one-third of all nonfarm
payroll workers. The sample is drawn from a sampling
frame of unemployment insurance tax accounts.
For both surveys, the data for a given month relate to a
particular week or pay period. In the household survey, the
reference week is generally the calendar week that contains
the 12th day of the month. In the establishment survey, the
reference period is the pay period including the 12th, which
may or may not correspond directly to the calendar week.
Coverage, definitions, and differences between surveys
Household survey. The sample is selected to reflect
the entire civilian noninstitutional population. Based on
responses to a series of questions on work and job search
activities, each person 16 years and over in a sample
household is classified as employed, unemployed, or not in
the labor force.
People are classified as employed if they did any work
at all as paid employees during the reference week; worked in
their own business, profession, or on their own farm; or
worked without pay at least 15 hours in a family business or
farm. People are also counted as employed if they were
temporarily absent from their jobs because of illness, bad
weather, vacation, labor-management disputes, or personal
reasons.
People are classified as unemployed if they meet all of
the following criteria: They had no employment during the
reference week; they were available for work at that time; and
they made specific efforts to find employment sometime
during the 4-week period ending with the reference week.
Persons laid off from a job and expecting recall need not be
looking for work to be counted as unemployed. The
unemployment data derived from the household survey in no
way depend upon the eligibility for or receipt of
unemployment insurance benefits.
The civilian labor force is the sum of employed and
unemployed persons. Those not classified as employed or
unemployed are not in the labor force. The unemployment
rate is the number unemployed as a percent of the labor
force. The labor force participation rate is the labor force as
a percent of the population, and the employment-population
ratio is the employed as a percent of the population.
Establishment survey. The sample establishments are
drawn from private nonfarm businesses such as factories,
offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local
government entities. Employees on nonfarm payrolls are
those who received pay for any part of the reference pay
period, including persons on paid leave. Persons are counted
in each job they hold. Hours and earnings data are for
private businesses and relate only to production workers in
the goods-producing sector and nonsupervisory workers in
the service-providing sector. Industries are classified on the
basis of their principal activity in accordance with the 2007
version of the North American Industry Classification
System.
Differences in employment estimates. The numerous
conceptual and methodological differences between the
household and establishment surveys result in important
distinctions in the employment estimates derived from the
surveys. Among these are:
• The household survey includes agricultural workers,
the self-employed, unpaid family workers, and
private household workers among the employed.
These groups are excluded from the establishment
survey.
• The household survey includes people on unpaid
leave among the employed. The establishment
survey does not.
• The household survey is limited to workers 16 years
of age and older. The establishment survey is not
limited by age.
• The household survey has no duplication of
individuals, because individuals are counted only
once, even if they hold more than one job. In the
establishment survey, employees working at more
than one job and thus appearing on more than one
payroll would be counted separately for each
appearance.
Seasonal adjustment
Over the course of a year, the size of the nation's labor
force and the levels of employment and unemployment
undergo sharp fluctuations due to such seasonal events as
changes in weather, reduced or expanded production,
harvests, major holidays, and the opening and closing of
schools. The effect of such seasonal variation can be very
large; seasonal fluctuations may account for as much as 95
percent of the month-to-month changes in unemployment.
Because these seasonal events follow a more or less
regular pattern each year, their influence on statistical trends
can be eliminated by adjusting the statistics from month to
month. These adjustments make nonseasonal developments,
such as declines in economic activity or increases in the
participation of women in the labor force, easier to spot. For
example, the large number of youth entering the labor force
each June is likely to obscure any other changes that have
taken place relative to May, making it difficult to determine if
the level of economic activity has risen or declined.
However, because the effect of students finishing school in
previous years is known, the statistics for the current year can
be adjusted to allow for a comparable change. Insofar as the
seasonal adjustment is made correctly, the adjusted figure
provides a more useful tool with which to analyze changes in
economic activity.
Most seasonally adjusted series are independently
adjusted in both the household and establishment surveys.
However, the adjusted series for many major estimates, such
as total payroll employment, employment in most
supersectors, total employment, and unemployment are
computed by aggregating independently adjusted component
series. For example, total unemployment is derived by
summing the adjusted series for four major age-sex
components; this differs from the unemployment estimate
that would be obtained by directly adjusting the total or by
combining the duration, reasons, or more detailed age
categories.
For both the household and establishment surveys, a
concurrent seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which
new seasonal factors are calculated each month, using all
relevant data, up to and including the data for the current
month. In the household survey, new seasonal factors are
used to adjust only the current month's data. In the
establishment survey, however, new seasonal factors are used
each month to adjust the three most recent monthly estimates.
In both surveys, revisions to historical data are made once a
year.
Reliability of the estimates
Statistics based on the household and establishment
surveys are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.
When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed,
there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from
the "true" population values they represent. The exact
difference, or sampling error, varies depending on the
particular sample selected, and this variability is measured by
the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-
percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based
on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors
from the "true" population value because of sampling error.
BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level
of confidence.
For example, the confidence interval for the monthly
change in total employment from the household survey is on
the order of plus or minus 430,000. Suppose the estimate of
total employment increases by 100,000 from one month to
the next. The 90-percent confidence interval on the monthly
change would range from -330,000 to 530,000 (100,000 +/-
430,000). These figures do not mean that the sample results
are off by these magnitudes, but rather that there is about a
90-percent chance that the "true" over-the-month change lies
within this interval. Since this range includes values of less
than zero, we could not say with confidence that employment
had, in fact, increased. If, however, the reported employment
rise was half a million, then all of the values within the 90-
percent confidence interval would be greater than zero. In
this case, it is likely (at least a 90-percent chance) that an
employment rise had, in fact, occurred. At an unemployment
rate of around 5.5 percent, the 90-percent confidence interval
for the monthly change in unemployment is about
+/-280,000, and for the monthly change in the unemployment
rate it is about +/-.19 percentage point.
In general, estimates involving many individuals or
establishments have lower standard errors (relative to the size
of the estimate) than estimates which are based on a small
number of observations. The precision of estimates is also
improved when the data are cumulated over time such as for
quarterly and annual averages. The seasonal adjustment
process can also improve the stability of the monthly
estimates.
The household and establishment surveys are also
affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling errors can
occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a
segment of the population, inability to obtain information for
all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of
respondents to provide correct information on a timely basis,
mistakes made by respondents, and errors made in the
collection or processing of the data.
For example, in the establishment survey, estimates for
the most recent 2 months are based on incomplete returns; for
this reason, these estimates are labeled preliminary in the
tables. It is only after two successive revisions to a monthly
estimate, when nearly all sample reports have been received,
that the estimate is considered final.
Another major source of nonsampling error in the
establishment survey is the inability to capture, on a timely
basis, employment generated by new firms. To correct for
this systematic underestimation of employment growth, an
estimation procedure with two components is used to account
for business births. The first component uses business deaths
to impute employment for business births. This is incorporated
into the sample-based link relative estimate
procedure by simply not reflecting sample units going out of
business, but imputing to them the same trend as the other
firms in the sample. The second component is an ARIMA
time series model designed to estimate the residual net
birth/death employment not accounted for by the imputation.
The historical time series used to create and test the ARIMA
model was derived from the unemployment insurance
universe micro-level database, and reflects the actual residual
net of births and deaths over the past 5 years.
The sample-based estimates from the establishment
survey are adjusted once a year (on a lagged basis) to
universe counts of payroll employment obtained from
administrative records of the unemployment insurance
program. The difference between the March sample-based
employment estimates and the March universe counts is
known as a benchmark revision, and serves as a rough proxy
for total survey error. The new benchmarks also incorporate
changes in the classification of industries. Over the past
decade, absolute benchmark revisions for total nonfarm
employment have averaged 0.2 percent, with a range from 0.1
percent to 0.6 percent.
Other information
Information in this release will be made available to
sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone:
(202) 691-5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-
8339.
7.2 to 7.6 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Payroll
employment has declined by 3.6 million since the start of the recession in December 2007; about one-half of
this decline occurred in the past 3 months. In January, job losses were large and widespread across nearly all
major industry sectors.
Establishment and Household Data Changes
The establishment survey data in this release have been revised as a result of the annual
benchmarking process and the updating of seasonal adjustment factors. See the note beginning
on page 6 for more information on the revisions.
In addition, household survey data for January 2009 reflect updated population estimates.
See the note on page 7 for more information. Also, January 2009 industry data shown in table
A-11 of this release have been converted to the 2007 Census Industry Classification System.
Historical data have not been revised.
Unemployment (Household Survey Data)
Both the number of unemployed persons (11.6 million) and the unemployment rate (7.6 percent) rose in
January. Over the past 12 months, the number of unemployed persons has increased by 4.1 million and the
unemployment rate has risen by 2.7 percentage points. (See table A-1.)
The unemployment rate continued to trend upward in January for adult men (7.6 percent), adult women
(6.2 percent), whites (6.9 percent), blacks (12.6 percent), and Hispanics (9.7 percent). The jobless rate for
teenagers was unchanged at 20.8 percent. The unemployment rate for Asians was 6.2 percent in January, not
seasonally adjusted. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)
Among the unemployed, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs increased to
7.0 million in January. This measure has grown by 3.2 million during the last 12 months. (See table A-8.)
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at 2.6 million
in January. Over the past 12 months, the number of long-term unemployed was up by 1.3 million. The
number of persons unemployed less than 5 weeks rose to 3.7 million in January. (See table A-9.)
Total Employment and the Labor Force (Household Survey Data)
The civilian labor force participation rate, at 65.5 percent in January, has edged down in recent months.
The employment-population ratio declined by 0.5 percentage point to 60.5 percent over the month, and by 2.4
percentage points over the year. (See table A-1.)
The number of persons who worked part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary
part-time workers) was essentially unchanged in January at 7.8 million; however, this measure was up by 3.1
million over the past 12 months. Included in this category are persons who would like to work full time but
were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find full-time
jobs. (See table A-5.)
Persons Not in the Labor Force (Household Survey Data)
About 2.1 million persons (not seasonally adjusted) were marginally attached to the labor force in January,
about 400,000 more than 12 months earlier. These individuals wanted and were available for work and had
looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not
searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. Among the marginally attached, there were 734,000
discouraged workers in January, up by about 270,000 from a year earlier. Discouraged workers are persons not
currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. The other 1.4 million persons
marginally attached to the labor force in January had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey
for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibilities. (See table A-13.)
Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey Data)
Total nonfarm payroll employment fell sharply (-598,000) in January. Since the recession began in
December 2007, 3.6 million jobs have been lost, with about half of the decrease occurring in the last 3 months.
In January, employment declined in nearly all major industries, while health care and private education added
jobs. (See table B-1.)
4
Manufacturing employment fell by 207,000 in January, the largest 1-month decline since October 1982.
In January, durable goods manufacturing lost 157,000 jobs, with notable decreases in fabricated metal products
(-37,000), motor vehicles and parts (-31,000), and machinery (-22,000). Employment in nondurable goods
manufacturing declined by 50,000 over the month.
Construction lost 111,000 jobs in January. Employment in the industry has fallen by about 1.0 million
since peaking in January 2007. Employment fell across most component industries over the month.
The temporary help industry lost 76,000 jobs in January. Since its recent peak in December 2006, temporary
help employment has declined by 695,000. Professional and technical services lost 29,000 jobs in
January.
Retail trade employment fell by 45,000 in January and by 592,000 since a peak in November 2007. In
January, employment declined in automobile dealerships (-14,000), building material and garden supply stores
(-10,000), department stores (-9,000), and furniture and home furnishing stores (-7,000). Over the month,
wholesale trade employment fell by 31,000.
Transportation and warehousing lost 44,000 jobs in January and 202,000 since the start of the recession.
Most of the decline occurred over the last 5 months. In January, employment fell in truck transportation
(-25,000), support activities for transportation (-9,000), and couriers and messengers (-4,000).
Employment in financial activities declined by 42,000 over the month and by 388,000 since a peak in
December 2006. In January, job losses occurred in securities, commodity contracts, and investments (-15,000)
and in credit intermediation (-10,000).
Health care employment continued to trend up in January with a gain of 19,000. Employment gains in the
industry averaged 30,000 a month in 2008. Employment in private education rose by 33,000 over the month.
The change in total nonfarm employment for November was revised from -584,000 to -597,000, and the
change for December was revised from -524,000 to -577,000. Monthly revisions result from additional sample
reports and the monthly recalculation of seasonal factors. This month, the annual benchmarking process also
contributed to these revisions.
Weekly Hours (Establishment Survey Data)
In January, the average workweek for production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls
remained at 33.3 hours, seasonally adjusted. Both the manufacturing workweek and factory overtime decreased
by 0.1 hour over the month, to 39.8 and 2.9 hours, respectively. (See table B-2.)
The index of aggregate weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory workers on nonfarm payrolls fell
by 0.7 percent in January. The manufacturing index declined by 2.1 percent over the month. (See table B-5.)
Hourly and Weekly Earnings (Establishment Survey Data)
In January, average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls
rose by 5 cents, or 0.3 percent, seasonally adjusted. This followed gains of 7 cents in December and 6 cents in
5
November. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings increased by 3.9 percent, and average weekly
earnings rose by 2.7 percent. (See table B-3.)
______________________________
The Employment Situation for February 2009 is scheduled to be released on Friday, March 6,
at 8:30 A.M. (EST).
6
Revisions to Establishment Survey Data
In accordance with annual practice, the establishment survey data have been revised to reflect comprehensive
universe counts of payroll jobs, or benchmarks. These counts are derived principally from unemployment
insurance tax records compiled by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program for March
2008. As a result of the benchmark process, all not seasonally adjusted data series were subject to revision from
April 2007 forward, the time period since the last benchmark was established. In addition, with this release, the
seasonally adjusted establishment survey data from January 2004 forward were subject to revision due to the
introduction of updated seasonal adjustment factors.
Table B presents revised total nonfarm employment data on a seasonally adjusted basis for January through
December 2008. The revised data for April 2008 forward incorporate the effect of applying the rate of change
measured by the sample to the new benchmark level, as well as updated net business birth/death model adjustments
and new seasonal adjustment factors. The November and December 2008 revisions also reflect the
routine incorporation of additional sample receipts into the November final and December second preliminary
estimates. The total nonfarm employment level for March 2008 was revised downward by 89,000 (17,000 on a
seasonally adjusted basis). The previously published level for December 2008 was revised downward by
172,000 (311,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis).
An article that discusses the benchmark and post-benchmark revisions, as well as all revised historical
Current Employment Statistics (CES) data, can be accessed through the CES homepage at
http://www.bls.gov/ces/. Information on the revisions released today also may be obtained by calling
(202) 691-6555.
Table B. Revisions in total nonfarm employment, January-December 2008,
seasonally adjusted
(In thousands)
2008
January ....................... 138,002 138,080 -76 -72 4
February ..................... 137,919 137,936 -83 -144 -61
March ......................... 137,831 137,814 -88 -122 -34
April ........................... 137,764 137,654 -67 -160 -93
May ............................ 137,717 137,517 -47 -137 -90
June ............................ 137,617 137,356 -100 -161 -61
July ............................. 137,550 137,228 -67 -128 -61
August ........................ 137,423 137,053 -127 -175 -48
September ................... 137,020 136,732 -403 -321 82
October ....................... 136,597 136,352 -423 -380 43
November ................... 136,013 135,755 -584 -597 -13
December p ……...… 135,489 135,178 -524 -577 -53
p = preliminary.
Levels Over-the-month changes
Year and month As
previously
published
As revised
As
previously
published
As revised Difference
7
Adjustments to Population Estimates for the Household Survey
Effective with data for January 2009, updated population estimates have been used in the household survey.
Population estimates for the household survey are developed by the U.S. Census Bureau. Each year, the Census
Bureau updates the estimates to reflect new information and assumptions about the growth of the population
during the decade. The change in population reflected in the new estimates results primarily from adjustments
for net international migration, updated vital statistics information, and some methodological changes in the
estimation process.
In accordance with our usual practice, BLS will not revise the official household survey estimates for
December 2008 and earlier months. To show the impact of the population adjustment, however, differences in
selected December 2008 labor force series based on the old and new population estimates are shown in table C.
The adjustment decreased the estimated size of the civilian noninstitutional population in December by 483,000,
the civilian labor force by 449,000, and employment by 407,000; the new population estimates had a negligible
impact on unemployment rates and other percentage estimates. Data users are cautioned that these annual
population adjustments affect the comparability of household data series over time. Estimates of large levels,
such as total labor force and employment are impacted most. Table D shows the effect of the introduction of
new population estimates on the changes in selected labor force measures between December 2008 and January
2009. More detailed information on the population adjustments and their effect on national labor force
estimates are available at http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps09adj.pdf.
Table C. Effect of the updated population controls on December 2008 estimates by sex, race, and
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, not seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
Category Total Men White Asian
Civilian noninstitutional population … -483 -295 -188 -242 -43 -170 -319
Civilian labor force ………………… -449 -289 -160 -267 -38 -121 -264
Employed ………………………… -407 -260 -146 -239 -33 -116 -238
Unemployed ……………………… -42 -28 -14 -28 -5 -6 -27
Unemployment rate …………… .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0
Women
Black or
African
American
Hispanic
or Latino
ethnicity
NOTE: Detail for men and women may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates for the above race
groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all
races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
8
Table D. December 2008-January 2009 changes in selected labor force measures, with
adjustments for population control effects
(Numbers in thousands)
Category
TOTAL
Civilian noninstitutional population ……… -296 -483 187
Civilian labor force ……………………… -731 -449 -282
Participation rate ……………………… -.2 -.1 -.1
Employed ……………………………… -1,239 -407 -832
Employment-population ratio ………… -.5 .0 -.5
Unemployed …………………………… 508 -42 550
Unemployment rate …………………… .4 .0 .4
2009 population
control effect
Dec.-Jan. change,
as published
Dec.-Jan. change,
after removing
the population
control effect 1
1 This Dec.-Jan. change is calculated by subtracting the population control effect from the published overthe-
month change.
9
Frequently Asked Questions about Employment and Unemployment Estimates
Why are there two monthly measures of employment?
The household survey and establishment survey both produce sample-based estimates of employment
and both have strengths and limitations. The establishment survey employment series has a
smaller margin of error on the measurement of month-to-month change than the household survey
because of its much larger sample size. An over-the-month employment change of 107,000 is statistically
significant in the establishment survey, while the threshold for a statistically significant change in
the household survey is about 400,000. However, the household survey has a more expansive scope
than the establishment survey because it includes the self-employed, unpaid family workers, agricultural
workers, and private household workers, who are excluded by the establishment survey. The
household survey also provides estimates of employment for demographic groups.
Are undocumented immigrants counted in the surveys?
Neither the establishment nor household survey is designed to identify the legal status of workers.
Thus, while it is likely that both surveys include at least some undocumented immigrants, it is not
possible to determine how many are counted in either survey. The household survey does include
questions about whether respondents were born outside the United States. Data from these questions
show that foreign-born workers accounted for 15.7 percent of the labor force in 2007 and 47.7 percent
of the net increase in the labor force from 2000 to 2007.
Why does the establishment survey have revisions?
The establishment survey revises published estimates to improve its data series by incorporating
additional information that was not available at the time of the initial publication of the estimates.
The establishment survey revises its initial monthly estimates twice, in the immediately succeeding
2 months, to incorporate additional sample receipts from respondents in the survey and recalculated
seasonal adjustment factors. For more information on the monthly revisions, please visit
http://www.bls.gov/ces/cesrevinfo.htm.
On an annual basis, the establishment survey incorporates a benchmark revision that re-anchors
estimates to nearly complete employment counts available from unemployment insurance tax records.
The benchmark helps to control for sampling and modeling errors in the estimates. For more information
on the annual benchmark revision, please visit http://www.bls.gov/web/cesbmart.htm.
Does the establishment survey sample include small firms?
Yes; about 40 percent of the establishment survey sample is comprised of business establishments
with fewer than 20 employees. The establishment survey sample is designed to maximize the reliability
of the total nonfarm employment estimate; firms from all size classes and industries are appropriately
sampled to achieve that goal.
Does the establishment survey account for employment from new businesses?
Yes; monthly establishment survey estimates include an adjustment to account for the net employment
change generated by business births and deaths. The adjustment comes from an econometric
model that forecasts the monthly net jobs impact of business births and deaths based on the actual past
10
values of the net impact that can be observed with a lag from the Quarterly Census of Employment and
Wages. The establishment survey uses modeling rather than sampling for this purpose because the survey
is not immediately able to bring new businesses into the sample. There is an unavoidable lag between
the birth of a new firm and its appearance on the sampling frame and availability for selection.
BLS adds new businesses to the survey twice a year.
Is the count of unemployed persons limited to just those people receiving unemployment insurance
benefits?
No; the estimate of unemployment is based on a monthly sample survey of households. All persons
who are without jobs and are actively seeking and available to work are included among the unemployed.
(People on temporary layoff are included even if they do not actively seek work.) There is no requirement
or question relating to unemployment insurance benefits in the monthly survey.
Does the official unemployment rate exclude people who have stopped looking for work?
Yes; however, there are separate estimates of persons outside the labor force who want a job,
including those who have stopped looking because they believe no jobs are available (discouraged
workers). In addition, alternative measures of labor underutilization (discouraged workers and other
groups not officially counted as unemployed) are published each month in the Employment Situation
news release.
Technical Note
This news release presents statistics from two major
surveys, the Current Population Survey (household survey)
and the Current Employment Statistics survey (establishment
survey). The household survey provides the information on
the labor force, employment, and unemployment that appears
in the A tables, marked HOUSEHOLD DATA. It is a sample
survey of about 60,000 households conducted by the U.S.
Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The establishment survey provides the information on
the employment, hours, and earnings of workers on nonfarm
payrolls that appears in the B tables, marked ESTABLISHMENT
DATA. This information is collected from payroll
records by BLS in cooperation with state agencies. The
sample includes about 160,000 businesses and government
agencies covering approximately 400,000 individual worksites.
The active sample includes about one-third of all nonfarm
payroll workers. The sample is drawn from a sampling
frame of unemployment insurance tax accounts.
For both surveys, the data for a given month relate to a
particular week or pay period. In the household survey, the
reference week is generally the calendar week that contains
the 12th day of the month. In the establishment survey, the
reference period is the pay period including the 12th, which
may or may not correspond directly to the calendar week.
Coverage, definitions, and differences between surveys
Household survey. The sample is selected to reflect
the entire civilian noninstitutional population. Based on
responses to a series of questions on work and job search
activities, each person 16 years and over in a sample
household is classified as employed, unemployed, or not in
the labor force.
People are classified as employed if they did any work
at all as paid employees during the reference week; worked in
their own business, profession, or on their own farm; or
worked without pay at least 15 hours in a family business or
farm. People are also counted as employed if they were
temporarily absent from their jobs because of illness, bad
weather, vacation, labor-management disputes, or personal
reasons.
People are classified as unemployed if they meet all of
the following criteria: They had no employment during the
reference week; they were available for work at that time; and
they made specific efforts to find employment sometime
during the 4-week period ending with the reference week.
Persons laid off from a job and expecting recall need not be
looking for work to be counted as unemployed. The
unemployment data derived from the household survey in no
way depend upon the eligibility for or receipt of
unemployment insurance benefits.
The civilian labor force is the sum of employed and
unemployed persons. Those not classified as employed or
unemployed are not in the labor force. The unemployment
rate is the number unemployed as a percent of the labor
force. The labor force participation rate is the labor force as
a percent of the population, and the employment-population
ratio is the employed as a percent of the population.
Establishment survey. The sample establishments are
drawn from private nonfarm businesses such as factories,
offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local
government entities. Employees on nonfarm payrolls are
those who received pay for any part of the reference pay
period, including persons on paid leave. Persons are counted
in each job they hold. Hours and earnings data are for
private businesses and relate only to production workers in
the goods-producing sector and nonsupervisory workers in
the service-providing sector. Industries are classified on the
basis of their principal activity in accordance with the 2007
version of the North American Industry Classification
System.
Differences in employment estimates. The numerous
conceptual and methodological differences between the
household and establishment surveys result in important
distinctions in the employment estimates derived from the
surveys. Among these are:
• The household survey includes agricultural workers,
the self-employed, unpaid family workers, and
private household workers among the employed.
These groups are excluded from the establishment
survey.
• The household survey includes people on unpaid
leave among the employed. The establishment
survey does not.
• The household survey is limited to workers 16 years
of age and older. The establishment survey is not
limited by age.
• The household survey has no duplication of
individuals, because individuals are counted only
once, even if they hold more than one job. In the
establishment survey, employees working at more
than one job and thus appearing on more than one
payroll would be counted separately for each
appearance.
Seasonal adjustment
Over the course of a year, the size of the nation's labor
force and the levels of employment and unemployment
undergo sharp fluctuations due to such seasonal events as
changes in weather, reduced or expanded production,
harvests, major holidays, and the opening and closing of
schools. The effect of such seasonal variation can be very
large; seasonal fluctuations may account for as much as 95
percent of the month-to-month changes in unemployment.
Because these seasonal events follow a more or less
regular pattern each year, their influence on statistical trends
can be eliminated by adjusting the statistics from month to
month. These adjustments make nonseasonal developments,
such as declines in economic activity or increases in the
participation of women in the labor force, easier to spot. For
example, the large number of youth entering the labor force
each June is likely to obscure any other changes that have
taken place relative to May, making it difficult to determine if
the level of economic activity has risen or declined.
However, because the effect of students finishing school in
previous years is known, the statistics for the current year can
be adjusted to allow for a comparable change. Insofar as the
seasonal adjustment is made correctly, the adjusted figure
provides a more useful tool with which to analyze changes in
economic activity.
Most seasonally adjusted series are independently
adjusted in both the household and establishment surveys.
However, the adjusted series for many major estimates, such
as total payroll employment, employment in most
supersectors, total employment, and unemployment are
computed by aggregating independently adjusted component
series. For example, total unemployment is derived by
summing the adjusted series for four major age-sex
components; this differs from the unemployment estimate
that would be obtained by directly adjusting the total or by
combining the duration, reasons, or more detailed age
categories.
For both the household and establishment surveys, a
concurrent seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which
new seasonal factors are calculated each month, using all
relevant data, up to and including the data for the current
month. In the household survey, new seasonal factors are
used to adjust only the current month's data. In the
establishment survey, however, new seasonal factors are used
each month to adjust the three most recent monthly estimates.
In both surveys, revisions to historical data are made once a
year.
Reliability of the estimates
Statistics based on the household and establishment
surveys are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.
When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed,
there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from
the "true" population values they represent. The exact
difference, or sampling error, varies depending on the
particular sample selected, and this variability is measured by
the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-
percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based
on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors
from the "true" population value because of sampling error.
BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level
of confidence.
For example, the confidence interval for the monthly
change in total employment from the household survey is on
the order of plus or minus 430,000. Suppose the estimate of
total employment increases by 100,000 from one month to
the next. The 90-percent confidence interval on the monthly
change would range from -330,000 to 530,000 (100,000 +/-
430,000). These figures do not mean that the sample results
are off by these magnitudes, but rather that there is about a
90-percent chance that the "true" over-the-month change lies
within this interval. Since this range includes values of less
than zero, we could not say with confidence that employment
had, in fact, increased. If, however, the reported employment
rise was half a million, then all of the values within the 90-
percent confidence interval would be greater than zero. In
this case, it is likely (at least a 90-percent chance) that an
employment rise had, in fact, occurred. At an unemployment
rate of around 5.5 percent, the 90-percent confidence interval
for the monthly change in unemployment is about
+/-280,000, and for the monthly change in the unemployment
rate it is about +/-.19 percentage point.
In general, estimates involving many individuals or
establishments have lower standard errors (relative to the size
of the estimate) than estimates which are based on a small
number of observations. The precision of estimates is also
improved when the data are cumulated over time such as for
quarterly and annual averages. The seasonal adjustment
process can also improve the stability of the monthly
estimates.
The household and establishment surveys are also
affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling errors can
occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a
segment of the population, inability to obtain information for
all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of
respondents to provide correct information on a timely basis,
mistakes made by respondents, and errors made in the
collection or processing of the data.
For example, in the establishment survey, estimates for
the most recent 2 months are based on incomplete returns; for
this reason, these estimates are labeled preliminary in the
tables. It is only after two successive revisions to a monthly
estimate, when nearly all sample reports have been received,
that the estimate is considered final.
Another major source of nonsampling error in the
establishment survey is the inability to capture, on a timely
basis, employment generated by new firms. To correct for
this systematic underestimation of employment growth, an
estimation procedure with two components is used to account
for business births. The first component uses business deaths
to impute employment for business births. This is incorporated
into the sample-based link relative estimate
procedure by simply not reflecting sample units going out of
business, but imputing to them the same trend as the other
firms in the sample. The second component is an ARIMA
time series model designed to estimate the residual net
birth/death employment not accounted for by the imputation.
The historical time series used to create and test the ARIMA
model was derived from the unemployment insurance
universe micro-level database, and reflects the actual residual
net of births and deaths over the past 5 years.
The sample-based estimates from the establishment
survey are adjusted once a year (on a lagged basis) to
universe counts of payroll employment obtained from
administrative records of the unemployment insurance
program. The difference between the March sample-based
employment estimates and the March universe counts is
known as a benchmark revision, and serves as a rough proxy
for total survey error. The new benchmarks also incorporate
changes in the classification of industries. Over the past
decade, absolute benchmark revisions for total nonfarm
employment have averaged 0.2 percent, with a range from 0.1
percent to 0.6 percent.
Other information
Information in this release will be made available to
sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone:
(202) 691-5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-
8339.
Extended Unemployment Insurance Benefits in Illinois
Chicago (02/05) - Under a new federal law that took effect on November 21, 2008, up to 33 weeks’ worth of emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) benefits are available for eligible individuals. Previously, individuals could only receive up to 13 weeks’ worth of EUC benefits.
How do I file for the Extension? When your regular benefits run out, an extended benefits claim (EUC 08) will automatically be established in most cases. Once this claim is established, you will receive a "findings" letter indicating your eligibility for the extension. In some situations where your benefit year is ending, you will receive a notice to report to your local office to determine your entitlement to Extended Benefits.
New Electronic Payment Options
Payment Options | |
Effective November 1, 2008, Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits are now paid through a debit card, unless you elect to receive payment by direct deposit to a checking or savings account. Before any benefits can be paid on a new claim, you must serve a non-paid "waiting week". Electronic payments made to eligible individuals are generally available within 2-3 business days of certification. Important note: Debit cards are mailed automatically, and you may initially be issued a debit card even if you applied for direct deposit. If you receive a debit card, you should activate and use it until direct deposit is started. Direct Deposit - Signing Up For or Modifying Your Information OnlinePlease sign up for direct deposit online (this is preferred by IDES), to avoid lengthy processing times.
| |
 | |
Avoid Transaction Fees. Use the SecureChoice website to activate your Debit Card, establish or change your PIN, report lost or stolen cards, check balances or transactions. Also, you may call toll free at 1-800-627-2069 (also on the back of your card). | |
Forms (PDF - fillable, saveable)
| |
Debit Cards - No more waiting for your benefit checksTuesday, February 3, 2009
Local Unemployment Offices
Alton (618) 466-8221 90 North Port Drive Alton 62002-5940
Arlington Heights (847) 981-7400 723 West Algonquin Rd Arlington Heights 60005-4432
Belleville (618) 277-5678 4519 West Main Belleville 62223-5552
Bloomington (309) 827-6237 207 East Hamilton Rd Bloomington 61704-7527
Bolingbrook (630) 759-0647 321 Quadrangle Dr Bolingbrook 60440-3407
Burbank (708) 458-0500 5608 West 75th Place Burbank 60459-3200
Centralia (618) 532-4741 325 South Poplar Street -
P.O. Box 825
Centralia 62801-3249
Champaign (217) 278-5700 1307 North Mattis Avenue -
P.O. Box 3369
Champaign 61826-3369
Chicago offices:
Blue Island (312) 243-5100 1657 South Blue Island Ave Chicago 60608-2133
Diversey (773) 889-6820 4931 West Diversey Pkwy Chicago 60639-1705
Grand Avenue (773) 227-7117 3500 West Grand Ave Chicago 60651-4009
Halsted (773) 821-4100 837 West 119th Chicago 60643-5211
Lawrence (773) 334-6646 2444 West Lawrence Chicago 60625-2912
Mid-South (773) 538-9811 715 East 47th Chicago 60653-4201
Stony Island (773) 221-3737 8750 South Stony Island Ave Chicago 60617-2708
Woodlawn (773) 947-2500 1515 East 71st Chicago 60619-1503
Chicago Heights (708) 709-3000 1010 Dixie Hwy Chicago Heights 60411-2663
Danville (217) 442-0238 407 North Franklin Danville 61832-4511
Decatur (217) 875-8750 757 West Pershing Rd Decatur 62526-1634
DeKalb (815) 756-4893 1701 East Lincoln Hwy DeKalb 60115-3956
East St Louis (618) 271-7750 601 James R. Thompson
Blvd., Bldg E
East St Louis 62201-1129
Effingham (217) 342-4149 2311 Hoffman Dr Effingham 62401-2839
Elgin (847) 888-7900 30 DuPage Court Elgin 60120-6424
Evanston (847) 864-3530 1615 Oak Ave Evanston 60201-4368
Freeport (815) 232-7171 1826 South West Ave Freeport 61032-6712
Galesburg (309) 343-3100 821 West Main Galesburg 61401-3401
Glen Carbon (618) 656-6100 50 Kriege Farm Rd Glen Carbon 62034-2700
Grayslake (847) 543-7400 800 Lancer Lane Grayslake 60030-2654
Harvey (708) 596-2325 16845 South Halsted Street Harvey 60426-6113
Jacksonville (217) 245-5148 850 South Main Jacksonville 62650-3012
Joliet (815) 740-5101 250 North Chicago Joliet 60432-4030
Kankakee (815) 932-0035 255 North Schuyler Kankakee 60901-3830
Litchfield (217) 324-2138 502 East Edwards Litchfield 62056-1690
Lombard (630) 495-4345 837 South Westmore Ave Lombard 60148-3724
Marion (618) 997-6835 8195 Express Dr Marion 62959-5816
Mattoon (217) 235-2222 305 Richmond Ave East Mattoon 61938-0009
Maywood (708) 338-6900 35 South 19th Avenue Maywood 60153-1228
Moline (309) 764-8731 4703 16th, Suite F Moline 61265-7066
Mount Vernon (618) 244-1700 333 Potomac Blvd., Suite E Mount Vernon 62864-2200
Murphysboro (618) 687-2341 223 South 13th Murphysboro 62966-2512
North Aurora (630) 844-6640 2 Smoke Tree Plaza North Aurora 60542
Ottawa (815) 434-3111 1550 First Ave – South Towne
Mall
Ottawa 61350-4821
Pekin (309) 346-4171 200 South Second St, Suite
1D
Pekin 61554-4023
Peoria (309) 671-3113 406 Elm Street Peoria 61605-3968
Quincy (217) 222-1560 107 North Third, Box 889 Quincy 62306
Rockford (815) 395-6600 303 North Main Rockford 61101
Springfield (217) 524-7838 1300 South Ninth, P.O. Box
19493
Springfield 62703
Sterling (815) 625-2313 2323 East Lincolnway Sterling 61081-3047
Woodstock (815) 338-7100 500 Russell Court Woodstock 60098-2614
Satellite Offices (please call for hours)
Aurora (630) 978-9396 501 College Avenue Aurora 60505
Carlinville (217) 854-6115 116 South Plum Carlinville 62626
Chicago - Daley
College
(773) 884-7000 7500 South Pulaski Rd,
Building 100
Chicago 60652
Cicero (708) 222-3100 2138 South 61st Ct, Suite 301 Cicero-Berwyn 60804
Pontiac (815) 842-2693 210 North Ladd Pontiac 61764
Waukegan (847) 249-2200 1 North Genesee Waukegan 60085
Regional Offices (administrative)
Central (217) 782-0157 850 East Madison Springfield 62702-5603
Chicago Region (312) 814-3143 527 South Wells Chicago 60607
Metro South
(Chicago)
(708) 596-8801 16845 South Halsted Street Harvey 60426-6113
Northern (630) 844-8455 260 East Indian Trail Rd Aurora 60505-1733
Northwest (309) 671-3151 410 Elm Street Peoria 61605-3968
Southern (618) 242-6121 321 Withers Drive, Ste B Mount Vernon 62864-2242
Arlington Heights (847) 981-7400 723 West Algonquin Rd Arlington Heights 60005-4432
Belleville (618) 277-5678 4519 West Main Belleville 62223-5552
Bloomington (309) 827-6237 207 East Hamilton Rd Bloomington 61704-7527
Bolingbrook (630) 759-0647 321 Quadrangle Dr Bolingbrook 60440-3407
Burbank (708) 458-0500 5608 West 75th Place Burbank 60459-3200
Centralia (618) 532-4741 325 South Poplar Street -
P.O. Box 825
Centralia 62801-3249
Champaign (217) 278-5700 1307 North Mattis Avenue -
P.O. Box 3369
Champaign 61826-3369
Chicago offices:
Blue Island (312) 243-5100 1657 South Blue Island Ave Chicago 60608-2133
Diversey (773) 889-6820 4931 West Diversey Pkwy Chicago 60639-1705
Grand Avenue (773) 227-7117 3500 West Grand Ave Chicago 60651-4009
Halsted (773) 821-4100 837 West 119th Chicago 60643-5211
Lawrence (773) 334-6646 2444 West Lawrence Chicago 60625-2912
Mid-South (773) 538-9811 715 East 47th Chicago 60653-4201
Stony Island (773) 221-3737 8750 South Stony Island Ave Chicago 60617-2708
Woodlawn (773) 947-2500 1515 East 71st Chicago 60619-1503
Chicago Heights (708) 709-3000 1010 Dixie Hwy Chicago Heights 60411-2663
Danville (217) 442-0238 407 North Franklin Danville 61832-4511
Decatur (217) 875-8750 757 West Pershing Rd Decatur 62526-1634
DeKalb (815) 756-4893 1701 East Lincoln Hwy DeKalb 60115-3956
East St Louis (618) 271-7750 601 James R. Thompson
Blvd., Bldg E
East St Louis 62201-1129
Effingham (217) 342-4149 2311 Hoffman Dr Effingham 62401-2839
Elgin (847) 888-7900 30 DuPage Court Elgin 60120-6424
Evanston (847) 864-3530 1615 Oak Ave Evanston 60201-4368
Freeport (815) 232-7171 1826 South West Ave Freeport 61032-6712
Galesburg (309) 343-3100 821 West Main Galesburg 61401-3401
Glen Carbon (618) 656-6100 50 Kriege Farm Rd Glen Carbon 62034-2700
Grayslake (847) 543-7400 800 Lancer Lane Grayslake 60030-2654
Harvey (708) 596-2325 16845 South Halsted Street Harvey 60426-6113
Jacksonville (217) 245-5148 850 South Main Jacksonville 62650-3012
Joliet (815) 740-5101 250 North Chicago Joliet 60432-4030
Kankakee (815) 932-0035 255 North Schuyler Kankakee 60901-3830
Litchfield (217) 324-2138 502 East Edwards Litchfield 62056-1690
Lombard (630) 495-4345 837 South Westmore Ave Lombard 60148-3724
Marion (618) 997-6835 8195 Express Dr Marion 62959-5816
Mattoon (217) 235-2222 305 Richmond Ave East Mattoon 61938-0009
Maywood (708) 338-6900 35 South 19th Avenue Maywood 60153-1228
Moline (309) 764-8731 4703 16th, Suite F Moline 61265-7066
Mount Vernon (618) 244-1700 333 Potomac Blvd., Suite E Mount Vernon 62864-2200
Murphysboro (618) 687-2341 223 South 13th Murphysboro 62966-2512
North Aurora (630) 844-6640 2 Smoke Tree Plaza North Aurora 60542
Ottawa (815) 434-3111 1550 First Ave – South Towne
Mall
Ottawa 61350-4821
Pekin (309) 346-4171 200 South Second St, Suite
1D
Pekin 61554-4023
Peoria (309) 671-3113 406 Elm Street Peoria 61605-3968
Quincy (217) 222-1560 107 North Third, Box 889 Quincy 62306
Rockford (815) 395-6600 303 North Main Rockford 61101
Springfield (217) 524-7838 1300 South Ninth, P.O. Box
19493
Springfield 62703
Sterling (815) 625-2313 2323 East Lincolnway Sterling 61081-3047
Woodstock (815) 338-7100 500 Russell Court Woodstock 60098-2614
Satellite Offices (please call for hours)
Aurora (630) 978-9396 501 College Avenue Aurora 60505
Carlinville (217) 854-6115 116 South Plum Carlinville 62626
Chicago - Daley
College
(773) 884-7000 7500 South Pulaski Rd,
Building 100
Chicago 60652
Cicero (708) 222-3100 2138 South 61st Ct, Suite 301 Cicero-Berwyn 60804
Pontiac (815) 842-2693 210 North Ladd Pontiac 61764
Waukegan (847) 249-2200 1 North Genesee Waukegan 60085
Regional Offices (administrative)
Central (217) 782-0157 850 East Madison Springfield 62702-5603
Chicago Region (312) 814-3143 527 South Wells Chicago 60607
Metro South
(Chicago)
(708) 596-8801 16845 South Halsted Street Harvey 60426-6113
Northern (630) 844-8455 260 East Indian Trail Rd Aurora 60505-1733
Northwest (309) 671-3151 410 Elm Street Peoria 61605-3968
Southern (618) 242-6121 321 Withers Drive, Ste B Mount Vernon 62864-2242
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