"Hobbit" film sets December record in U.S., Canada debut

(Reuters) - "The Hobbit" brought home a big box office treasure over the weekend, setting a December movie record with $84.77 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales as legions of fans turned out for the long-awaited big-screen return to Middle Earth.

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" also rung up sales of $138.2 million in international markets. Global receipts for the prequel to the smash "Lord of the Rings" trilogy stood at $222.97 million through Sunday, distributor Warner Bros. said.

The current projection for the total box office take in 2012 is $10.8 billion, according to an estimate from Hollywood.com, which would beat the $10.6 billion record in 2009.

The 3D "Hobbit" directed by Oscar-winning "Rings" filmmaker Peter Jackson is the first of three films based on a 1937 classic novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Warner Bros. is aiming to build on the success of the "Rings" series, one of Hollywood's biggest franchises with $2.9 billion in global ticket sales.

"The Hobbit" also set a record with its $15.1 million earnings from IMAX theaters worldwide, according to Warner Bros. It is also the largest opening for any film in the canon of "The Lord of the Rings."

The "Lord of the Rings" movies debuted in theaters from 2001 to 2003. After that, production on "The Hobbit" ran into delays, leaving fans waiting a decade for another look at the fantasy story of dwarves, wizards and elves.

The opening weekend "Hobbit" sales proved interest remained high. North American (U.S. and Canadian) receipts toppled the old record for December set by Will Smith sci-fi flick "I Am Legend," which pulled in $77.2 million when it debuted in 2007.

"The best we were hoping for was to reach or exceed the $77 million set by that movie and we did it by quite a lot. It was all good and we're very happy about it," said Dan Fellman, president of theatrical distribution for Warner Bros.

"You have to assume that by the time this first week is over we are going to have around $110 million in the bank before the holiday even starts," he added.

The new film follows the epic journey of hobbit Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman, as he travels through the treacherous Middle Earth with a band of dwarves to steal treasures from the dragon, Smaug.

The movie also stars Richard Armitage and Benedict Cumberbatch, while Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett and Elijah Wood reprise their "Rings" roles.

Opening-weekend audiences embraced "The Hobbit," awarding an "A" grade in polling by survey firm CinemaScore. Critics had a mixed response to the nearly three-hour film. Sixty-five percent of reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes website recommended the movie, although some objected to Jackson's decision to shoot it using a 48-frames-per-second format rather than the usual 24.

SOME VIEWERS NAUSEOUS

The faster frame rate delivers clearer pictures, but some critics called the format cartoonish and jarring. Only a fraction of theaters showed the film in the new format. Some fans at early screenings in New Zealand complained it made them feel nauseous and dizzy, according to The New Zealand Herald.

The next two "Hobbit" movies are scheduled to reach theaters in December 2013 and July 2014. The films were financed by MGM and Warner Bros.' New Line Cinema unit for an estimated $500 million.

"The Hobbit" took a bumpy, years-long journey to the big screen that included two directors and a lawsuit. Jackson made the "Rings" trilogy when producers could not get "The Hobbit" rights that were held by MGM's United Artists unit.

Guillermo del Toro was first hired to direct "The Hobbit" but he left the project when financial woes at MGM caused delays. The movie went into production only after Jackson settled a lawsuit against New Line in a dispute over profits from the "Rings" films.

"The Hobbit" was the only new nationwide release over the weekend. The rest of the top five were films that have been playing for weeks.

In second place was the animated family film "Rise of the Guardians" with $7.4 million, followed by historical drama "Lincoln" starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the revered U.S. president, which grabbed $7.2 million from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates.

James Bond movie "Skyfall" landed in fourth place with $7 million.

Next on the box office chart was "Life of Pi," which captured $5.4 million. Teen vampire tale "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" earned $5.17 million.

Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros. released "The Hobbit." "Lincoln" was produced by Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Co. Sony Corp's movie studio released "Skyfall." Dreamworks Animation distributed "Rise of the Guardians," which was released by Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures. Summit Entertainment, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment, released "Breaking Dawn."

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Sandra Maler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hobbit-film-sets-december-record-u-canada-debut-002152400--sector.html

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Homes For Sale Pleasanton CA Real Estate Weekly Review ...

?2012 Bay East. ?2012 CCAR. ?2012 EBRD. All rights reserved. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This information is provided from three separate sources: Bay East, CCAR and EBRD. The listings presented here may or may not be listed by the Broker/Agent operating this website. Information last updated on 12/17/12 8:50 PM PST.

This IDX solution is (c) Diverse Solutions 2012.

Source: http://vickiesellshomes.com/homes-for-sale-pleasanton-ca-real-estate-weekly-review-december-16-2012/

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Slickdeals' best in tech for December 17th: Panasonic Viera HDTV and Nikon D600 kit

Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this round-up, we'll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You'll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won't stick around long.

With holiday shipping deadlines looming, there are but mere hours left to complete shopping duties of the online sort. That said, here's a list of the day's best buys that should lend a hand with any last-minute shopping. A Nikon D600 bundle and a 47-inch Panasonic Viera HDTV take top billing, but there's much more that lies just past the break. Jump on down to take a gander at the complete list and watch out for coupon codes and rebate forms should your deal of choice require 'em.

Continue reading Slickdeals' best in tech for December 17th: Panasonic Viera HDTV and Nikon D600 kit

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Misc, Home Entertainment

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Source: Slickdeals

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/17/slickdeals-best-in-tech-for-december-17th/

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Syrian vice president says neither side can win war

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa said that neither the forces of President Bashar al-Assad nor rebels seeking to overthrow him can win the war which is now being fought on the outskirts of Assad's powerbase in Damascus.

Sharaa, a Sunni Muslim in a power structure dominated by Assad's Alawite minority, has rarely been seen since the Syrian revolt erupted in March 2011 and is not part of the president's inner circle directing the fight against Sunni rebels.

But he is the most prominent figure to say in public that Assad will not win. He was speaking to Lebanon's al-Akhbar paper in an interview from Damascus, which is now hemmed in by rebel fighters to the south.

Assad's forces have used jets and artillery to try to dislodge the fighters from around Damascus but the violence has crept into the heart of the capital and activists said rebels overran three army stations in a new offensive in the central province of Hama on Monday.

Sharaa said the situation in Syria, where more than 40,000 people have been killed, was deteriorating and a "historic settlement" was needed to end the conflict, involving regional powers and the U.N. Security Council and the formation of a national unity government "with broad powers".

"With every passing day the political and military solutions are becoming more distant. We should be in a position defending the existence of Syria. We are not in a battle for an individual or a regime," Sharaa was quoted as saying.

"The opposition cannot decisively settle the battle and what the security forces and army units are doing will not achieve a decisive settlement," he told the paper, adding that the insurgents fighting to topple Syria's leadership could plunge it into "anarchy and an unending spiral of violence".

Sources close to the Syrian government say Sharaa had pushed for dialogue with the opposition and objected to the military response to an uprising that began peacefully.

In Damascus, clashes raged between Palestinian factions loyal to and opposed to Assad in the Yarmouk district a day after Syrian fighter jets bombed a mosque there, killing at least 25 people.

Activists said troops and tanks were gathered outside the camp on Monday and hundreds of Palestinians refugees living in Syria flooded into Lebanon.

Syria hosts half a million Palestinian refugees, most living in Yarmouk and descendants of those admitted after the creation of Israel in 1948, and has always cast itself as a champion of the Palestinian struggle, sponsoring several guerrilla factions.

Both Assad's government and the mainly Sunni Muslim Syrian rebels have enlisted and armed divided Palestinian factions as the uprising has developed into a civil war.

In a veiled criticism of the crackdown, Sharaa said there was a difference between the state's duty to provide security to its citizens, and "pursuing a security solution to the crisis".

He said even Assad could not be certain where events in Syria were leading, but that anyone who met him would hear that "this is a long struggle...and he does not hide his desire to settle matters militarily to reach a final solution."

CHANGE INEVITABLE

"We realize today that change is inevitable," Sharaa said, but "none of the peaceful or armed opposition groups with their known foreign links can call themselves the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people".

"Likewise the current leadership...cannot achieve change alone after two years of crisis without new partners who contribute to preserving (Syria's) national fabric, territorial unity and regional sovereignty".

Rebels have now brought the war to the capital, without yet delivering a fatal blow to the government. But nor has Assad found the military muscle to oust his opponents from the city.

In Hama province, rebels and the army clashed in a new campaign launched on Sunday by rebels to block off the country's north, activists said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked violence monitor, said fighting raged through the provincial towns of Karnaz, Kafar Weeta, Halfayeh and Mahardeh.

"There is not fighting in these areas often," said Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Observatory, adding that rebels units from Idlib joined the offensive and three army stations had been destroyed.

He said there were no clashes reported in Hama city, which lies on the main north-south highway connecting the capital with Aleppo, Syria's second city.

Qassem Saadeddine, a member of the newly established rebel military command, told Reuters on Sunday fighters had been ordered to surround and attack army positions across the province. He said forces loyal to Assad had been given 48 hours to surrender or be killed.

"When we liberate the countryside of Hama province ... then we will have the area between Aleppo and Hama liberated and open for us," he said.

In 1982 Hafez al-Assad, father of the current ruler, crushed an uprising in Hama city, killing up to 30,000 civilians.

Qatiba al-Naasan, a rebel from Hama, said the offensive would bring retaliatory air strikes from the government but that the situation is "already getting miserable".

"For sure there will be slaughter - if the army wants to shell us many people will die. There are many populated areas and many refugees have fled here."

"(But) we felt it was always inevitable Hama would be shelled and we at least want to be fighting to liberate it," he said from Hama through Skype.

He said rebels would attack areas of strategic significance but not maintain a presence in other areas to allow civilians a safe place to flee.

(Additional reporting by Oliver Holmes and Erika Solomon in Beirut, Noah Browning and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-vp-says-neither-side-win-war-102809278.html

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Bengals beat Eagles 34-13

Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham goes up for the ball as Eagles safety Nate Allen tries to prevent the catch. Philadelphia Eagles fell to the Cincinnati Bengals 34-13 at Lincoln Financial Field Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/The News Journal, Daniel Sato)

Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham goes up for the ball as Eagles safety Nate Allen tries to prevent the catch. Philadelphia Eagles fell to the Cincinnati Bengals 34-13 at Lincoln Financial Field Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/The News Journal, Daniel Sato)

Cincinnati Bengals' Jeromy Miles celebrates in the stands after an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012, in Philadelphia. Cincinnati won 34-13. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

Andy Dalton (14) juguetea con el bal?n luego de anotar un touchdown en la segunda mitad del partido que sus Bengals de Cincinnati ganaron 34-13 a los Eagles el jueves 13 de diciembre de 2012 en Filadelfia. (Foto AP/Mel Evans)

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid walks off the field past TV cameras after an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012, in Philadelphia. Cincinnati won 34-13. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

Cincinnati Bengals' Andy Dalton smiles as he walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012, in Philadelphia. Cincinnati won 34-13. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? So long, Eagles.

Up ahead for the Cincinnati Bengals, the only Pennsylvania team that truly matters.

Andy Dalton threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score, an opportunistic defense forced five turnovers and Cincinnati beat the Philadelphia Eagles 34-13 on Thursday night.

The Bengals (8-6) took a half-game lead over the Steelers for the last playoff spot in the AFC. But their game at Pittsburgh next week is far more important in the standings than this one.

The Bengals would clinch their second straight playoff berth with a win over the Steelers if Pittsburgh loses at Dallas this Sunday. A loss to the Steelers, though, likely would ruin Cincinnati's chances because it would lose the tiebreaker.

"We control what we can control," coach Marvin Lewis said. "We want to win in December, so we have a chance to win in January."

Can they beat the Steelers? Probably not if they play like they did for most of their 60 minutes at Lincoln Financial Field. They committed 10 of their 11 penalties through the first three quarters. Dalton was sacked six times by one of the worst lines in the league.

Dalton was an unimpressive 13 of 27 for 127 yards and a touchdown. No receiver had more than 63 yards.

Funny how a playoff push can make those stats meaningless as long as the Bengals win.

"We're playing for something now," Dalton said. "That's great and that's what makes it fun this time of year."

The Eagles' season was lost a long time ago. They fell to 4-10, losing double-digit games for the first time since 2005, the year after losing the Super Bowl to New England.

There were plenty of empty seats at the Linc, where fans are hoping this is Andy Reid's final season as coach. Reid led the Eagles to nine playoff appearances, six division titles and five NFC championship games in his first 13 years. But the Eagles will miss the playoffs for the second straight year and owner Jeffrey Lurie already said 8-8 would be "unacceptable."

"I thought the effort was there and guys played hard," Reid said, "but you just can't have those turnovers. That's a problem."

An interception by Leon Hall set up Dalton's go-ahead 11-yard TD run in the third quarter. Then Wallace Gilberry picked up Bryce Brown's fumble and ran it back 25 yards for another score and an 11-point lead.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 106 yards, including a 1-yard TD run in the first quarter for Cincinnati. Dalton tossed a 5-yard scoring pass to A.J. Green in the fourth to cap a 24-point outburst in a span of 3:23.

"Our goal is to win games. Period. We did that. Doesn't matter how we got there," cornerback Adam Jones said. "We can be better. We can be higher. And that's what we take from this game. Listen, we all know we need to play better as a defense next week. Because we have ourselves a big one next week."

The Eagles committed three turnovers on three straight possessions at one point and then fumbled a kickoff when defensive lineman Cedric Thornton let the ball fall through his hands on a short kick.

After beating Tampa Bay on a last-second TD last week to snap an eight-game losing streak, the Eagles tried to make it two in a row. Turnovers got in their way again. They've committed an NFL-high 34 and forced just 12 all season.

The Eagles snapped a drought of 22 quarters without a turnover by recovering two fumbles in the second. Both led to field goals by Alex Henery, helping Philadelphia to a 13-10 halftime lead.

Rookie Nick Foles made his fifth straight start for Michael Vick, who just returned to practice this week after sustaining a concussion on Nov. 11. Foles threw for 182 yards, one TD and one interception. Reid said Foles is still the starter.

Down 13-10, the Bengals started their rally with a turnover.

Hall intercepted Foles' deep pass and returned it 44 yards to the Eagles 40. Foles underthrew Jeremy Maclin, who was a few steps behind Hall.

"I feel really good anytime I have one of our receivers vertical on a guy," Foles said. "I just have to get the ball out there and make a better throw."

Green made an acrobatic catch for an 11-yard gain on third-and-9 a few plays before Dalton ran for the score to put the Bengals up 17-13.

Foles, who threw for 381 yards to lead that comeback against the Bucs, hit Riley Cooper on an 11-yard TD pass to cut it to 10-7. Foles connected with Maclin on a 46-yard pass during the drive.

The Eagles then forced their first turnover since Nov. 5 against New Orleans. Brandon Graham sacked Dalton, the ball popped loose and Trent Cole recovered at the Bengals 29.

Just two plays in, Maclin fumbled after a 6-yard catch. Carlos Dunlap recovered and the Bengals started at the Eagles 44. Green-Ellis ran 29 yards on first down and scored a few plays later for a 7-0 lead.

It got uglier for Philadelphia on the next possession. Mat McBriar punted into his own blocker, Daniel Herron picked it up and ran 3 yards to the Eagles 11. But Graham sacked Dalton and Cincinnati settled for Brown's 24-yard field goal that made it 10-0.

The Bengals would get their act together and put a playoff berth in sight.

"We're in control right now of where we end up," Dalton said. "And that's how you want it to be. We have two tough games ahead of us. But I know we will be ready to go."

NOTES: Green-Ellis surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for second time in his career. He did it with New England in 2010. ... The Eagles had a season-high six sacks. They have eight in two games since defensive line coach Jim Washburn was fired, and had 20 in first 12 games. ... Bowles confirmed he interviewed for the coaching vacancy at Temple, his alma mater. ... Eagles RB LeSean McCoy and TE Brent Celek also sat out. Both players also are recovering from concussions. McCoy missed his fourth straight game, but returned to practice this week with Vick.

___

Follow Dan Gelston on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APGelston

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-14-Bengals-Eagles%20Folo/id-dca0f6785ca145cd8b81b42d3c583557

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Stocks edge lower; Apple sinks 4 percent

FILE- In this Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, file photo, Trader Fred DeMarco, center works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. World stock markets swung higher Friday Dec. 14, 2012 after a survey showed an improvement in China's manufacturing, offsetting gloom from a sharp drop in Japanese business confidence. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE- In this Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, file photo, Trader Fred DeMarco, center works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. World stock markets swung higher Friday Dec. 14, 2012 after a survey showed an improvement in China's manufacturing, offsetting gloom from a sharp drop in Japanese business confidence. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Apple, the most valuable company in the U.S., slumped Friday, helping to drag down the stock market. A lack of progress in federal budget talks also discouraged investors.

Apple's stock dropped 4 percent after the launch of the iPhone 5 in Beijing failed to draw the long lines of customers that showed up for previous versions, according to news reports. Analysts at UBS cut their earnings estimates and price target for Apple, which lost $19.90 to close at $509.79.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 5.87 points to close at 1,413.58, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite sank 20.83 points to 2,971.33. Apple is the biggest stock in both indexes.

The Dow, which doesn't include Apple, fell 35.71 points to 13,135.01. All three stock-market measures ended the week with a loss.

President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner met Thursday to discuss a budget deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff," a collection of higher taxes and government spending cuts scheduled to start Jan. 1. There were no signs of progress, however, and Boehner returned home to Ohio on Friday.

Investors remain confident the two sides will reach a deal soon, said Todd Morgan, a founder of Bel Air Investment Advisors in Los Angeles. But the more time it takes, the more anxious they get.

"People want to move ahead and get past this," Morgan said. "The uncertainty around it is what's making people nervous."

The Labor Department said a steep fall in gas prices pushed down a measure of consumer prices last month. The consumer price index edged down 0.3 percent in November from October, as gas prices sank 7.4 percent, the biggest drop in nearly four years. Consumer prices have risen 1.8 percent over the past year.

The report helped nudge up prices for U.S. government debt, pushing yields down. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 1.70 percent from 1.73 percent late Thursday. When inflation is weak, it suggests that interest rates are unlikely to jump, and bond prices unlikely to drop, anytime soon.

Asian markets rose after HSBC said manufacturing in China is picking up. Its index for manufacturing December rose to 50.9, a slight increase from the previous month. Anything above 50 is a sign of growth.

Among other companies in the news:

? Adobe jumped 6 percent after the maker of Photoshop editing software and other applications reported results that beat analysts' expectations. More subscribers for its online Creative Cloud service helped drive revenue and earnings higher. Adobe's stock gained $2.03 to $37.56.

? Best Buy sank 15 percent, losing $2.07 to $12.05. The struggling electronics retailer and one of its founders, Richard Schulze, agreed to give Schulze more time to assemble a bid for the company. That erased nearly all of the gain the stock made Thursday following a report that Schulze would make a bid by the end of the week.

? Silver Bay Realty Trust dipped 26 cents to $18.24 in its first day of trading. Silver Bay raised $245.1 million in its initial public offering Thursday. It plans on using the money to buy thousands of single-family homes and rent them out, as the U.S. housing market slowly heals.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-14-Wall%20Street/id-fb184b67dc6049eabc927bd12a12af88

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ETA News Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION

USDL 12-2428-NAT

Program Contact:	TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS
Scott Gibbons: (202) 693-3008	RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL
Tony Sznoluch: (202) 693-3176	8:30 A.M. (EDT), THURSDAY
Media Contact: (202) 693-4676	December 13, 2012

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

??????????SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending December 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 343,000, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 372,000. The 4-week moving average was 381,500, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's revised average of 408,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending December 1, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending December 1 was 3,198,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,221,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,270,750, a decrease of 42,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,313,000.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 428,814 in the week ending December 8, a decrease of 72,117 from the previous week. There were 435,863 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent during the week ending December 1, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,159,199, a decrease of 158,195 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.8 percent and the volume was 3,540,663.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending November 24 was 5,642,678, an increase of 683,477 from the previous week. There were 7,449,508 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2011.

Extended Benefits were only available in New York during the week ending November 24.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,017 in the week ending December 1, an increase of 389 from the prior week. There were 2,910 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 1,047 from the preceding week.

There were 20,778 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending November 24, an increase of 1,930 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 41,391, an increase of 4,501 from the prior week.

States reported 2,194,253 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending November 24, an increase of 185,645 from the prior week. There were 3,048,926 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2011. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending November 24 were in Alaska (5.8), New Jersey (4.5), Puerto Rico (4.0), Oregon (3.8), Pennsylvania (3.7), California (3.5), Wisconsin (3.5), Montana (3.4), Connecticut (3.3), Nevada (3.2), and West Virginia (3.2).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending December 1 were in California (+24,411), Pennsylvania (+14,636), North Carolina (+13,961), New York (+11,025), and Texas (+10,435), while the largest decreases were in Kentucky (-615), Idaho (-481), Vermont (-402), Florida (-348) and Wisconsin (-91).

---

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE DATA FOR REGULAR STATE PROGRAMS

---

WEEK ENDING	Advance Dec. 8	Dec. 1	Change	Nov. 24	Prior Year1

---

Initial Claims (SA)	343,000	372,000	-29,000	395,000	371,000
Initial Claims (NSA)	428,814	500,931	-72,117	358,869	435,863
4-Wk Moving Average (SA)	381,500	408,500	-27,000	405,750	386,000

WEEK ENDING	Advance Dec. 1	Nov. 24	Change	Nov. 17	Prior Year1

---

Ins. Unemployment (SA)	3,198,000	3,221,000	-23,000	3,305,000	3,609,000
Ins. Unemployment (NSA)	3,159,199	3,317,394	-158,195	2,835,628	3,540,663
4-Wk Moving Average (SA)	3,270,750	3,313,000	-42,250	3,301,250	3,649,250

---

Ins. Unemployment Rate (SA)2	2.5%	2.5%	0.0	2.6%	2.9%
Ins. Unemployment Rate (NSA)2	2.5%	2.6%	-0.1	2.2%	2.8%

---

INITIAL CLAIMS FILED IN FEDERAL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

---

WEEK ENDING

Federal Employees	2,017	1,628	+389	2,369
Newly Discharged Veterans	2,910	1,863	+1,047	2,879

---

PERSONS CLAIMING UI BENEFITS IN ALL PROGRAMS (UNADJUSTED)

---

WEEK ENDING

Regular State	3,309,627	2,829,876	+479,751	3,685,651
Federal Employees (UCFE)	20,778	18,848	+1,930	30,893
Newly Discharged Veterans (UCX)	41,391	36,890	+4,501	44,325
EUC 20083	2,194,253	2,008,608	+185,645	3,048,926
Extended Benefits4	40,523	37,096	+3,427	593,097
State Additional Benefits 5	5,974	5,820	+154	4,728
STC / Workshare 6	30,132	22,063	+8,069	41,888
TOTAL	5,642,678	4,959,201	+683,477	7,449,508

FOOTNOTES
SA - Seasonally Adjusted Data, NSA - Not Seasonally Adjusted Data
¹ - Prior year is comparable to most recent data.
² - Most recent week used covered employment of 128,066,082 as denominator.
³ - EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity. Tier-specific EUC data can be found here: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/docs/persons.xls
⁴ - Information on the EB program can be found here: http://www.ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/extenben.asp
⁵ - Some states maintain additional benefit programs for those claimants who exhaust regular, extended and emergency benefits. Information on states that participate,
????????and the extent of benefits paid, can be found starting on page 4-5 of this link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf
⁶ - Information on STC/Worksharing can be found starting on page 4-9 of the following link: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/uilawcompar/2010/special.pdf

UNADJUSTED INITIAL CLAIMS FOR WEEK ENDED 11/24/2012

---

STATES WITH A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000

---

State	Change	?	State Supplied Comment
None	?	?	?

---

STATES WITH AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1,000?

---

State

Change

?

State Supplied Comment

CA	+24,411	?	Increase a result of processing claims from prior week when offices were closed due to Thanksgiving holiday. Layoffs in the service, agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries.
PA	+14,636	?	Layoffs in the construction, professional, scientific and technology service, transportation, entertainment, and accommodations and food service industries.
NC	+13,961	?	No Comment .
NY	+11,025	?	Layoffs in the transportation, construction, and food service industries.
TX	+10,435	?	Increase a result of processing claims from prior week when offices were closed due to Thanksgiving holiday.
GA	+8,708	?	Layoffs in the manufacturing, administrative service, construction, trade, healthcare and social assistance, and accommodations and food service industries.
IL	+8,478	?	Layoffs in the construction, manufacturing, and administrative industries.
SC	+5,009	?	Layoffs in the machinery manufacturing, textile, and fabricated metal products industries.
MI	+4,065	?	Layoffs in the administrative service industry.
TN	+3,846	?	Layoffs in the administrative service, manufacturing, trade, food service industries.
VA	+3,326	?	Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.
MN	+3,168	?	No comment.
MO	+3,053	?	Layoffs in the construction and administrative service industries
AL	+2,668	?	Layoffs in the construction, administrative service, accommodations and food service, and retail industries.
NJ	+2,191	?	Layoffs in the construction, administrative, and retail industries.
MD	+1,737	?	No comment.
NV	+1,704	?	Increase a result of processing claims from prior week when offices were closed due to Thanksgiving holiday.
PR	+1,699	?	No comment.
MA	+1,654	?	No comment.
WV	+1,477	?	Layoffs in the mining, manufacturing, information, managing, administrative service, waste, and accomadations and food service industries.
AZ	+1,462	?	No comment.
OR	+1,348	?	Increase in initial claims are due layoffs in seasonal industries and occupations and processing claims from prior week when offices were closed due to Thanksgiving holiday.
LA	+1,343	?	No comment.
OH	+1,269	?	Layoffs in the automobile and manufacturing industries.
CT	+1,252	?	No comment.
IN	+1,246	?	Layoffs in the manufacturing industry.

State Detail Prior Week
UI Claims Series 1967 to current

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This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-693-4676. TDD Message Phone: 1-800-326-2577. News releases from the U.S. Department of Labor are accessible on the Internet at: http://www.dol.gov/ and http://www.ows.doleta.gov/

Source: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/ui/eta20122428.htm

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