An "initial claim" is the first claim filed to request a determination of eligibility for unemployment benefits (a new spell of UI). A "continued week claimed" (or continuing claim) is a weekly certification filed after the initial claim for a week of unemployment to receive ongoing benefits; it counts people already in the program claiming benefits for additional weeks.
"Seasonally adjusted" data have had predictable seasonal effects (holidays, weather, school schedules, etc.) removed so week‑to‑week trends are clearer. The report shows both because seasonally adjusted figures reveal underlying trends while unadjusted (actual) figures show the raw counts and year‑ago comparisons and reflect real seasonal patterns.
The insured unemployment rate equals the number of people claiming (insured) unemployment benefits divided by the number of workers covered by state UI ("covered employment"); it represents the share of the covered workforce currently receiving UI. (DOL reports use this rate to track insured unemployment and trigger programs.)
A state is "triggered on" for Extended Benefits (EB) when its unemployment indicators exceed statutory trigger thresholds (commonly an insured‑unemployment or total‑unemployment rate threshold, and sometimes thresholds relative to the prior two years) for the reference period; when triggered on, a state becomes eligible to pay federally‑shared extended weeks to UI exhaustees.
UCFE (Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees) pays benefits to former federal civilian workers; UCX (Unemployment Compensation for Ex‑service members) pays benefits to newly discharged veterans/military personnel. They are federal programs administered through state UI systems for those groups.
The 4‑week moving average smooths weekly volatility by averaging four weeks of initial claims; it reduces noise from one‑week spikes (holidays, reporting quirks) and gives a better short‑term view of the trend than a single weekly reading.
"Advance" claims are preliminary weekly totals submitted quickly by states and subject to revision as more state reports arrive; prior weeks are often revised later, so advance claims may not match later revised figures and thus arent strictly comparable until revisions are finalized.