First-time jobless claims last week in the state dipped below pre-pandemic levels for the second time in the past month, declining nearly 27% when compared to the prior seven-day period, according to a government report.
The U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday that 1,792 Oklahoma workers filed initial claims for unemployment assistance the week ending Saturday compared to an upwardly revised figure of 2,443 claims filed the week prior.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began here in mid-March 2020, initial jobless claims have been below the March 14, 2020, weekly total of 1,846 twice — last week and the week ending Sept. 25 — when initial claims 1,715 claims were reported before being revised later to 2,090 claims.
Continued claims, those filed after one week of unemployment, also fell for the 10th consecutive week from a revised 17,592 the week ending Oct. 2, to 15,192 the following week.
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Likewise, the four-week moving average of initial claims fell for the 16th consecutive week from 2,502 to 2,254.
The four-week moving average of continued claims also fell for the 13th consecutive week.
The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission noted an increase in initial claims filed earlier this month in its weekly comments on the report. The agency does not comment on claims totals until they are revised, typically upward, the following week.
“While we saw a slight increase in initial claims, we’re also continuing to see a consistent decrease in all other reporting categories, which are nearing pre-pandemic levels,” said Shelley Zumwalt, OESC executive director. “As claims decrease, we’re continuing to focus on our re-employment efforts by placing priority on connecting claimants with employers and on work search audits. OESC offers a variety of resources and programs to help claimants fulfill their weekly work searches, and we encourage them to visit our website or local workforce office to learn more.”
Nationally, first-time jobless claims declined by 6,000 for the week ending Saturday to 290,000, the lowest level of initial claims since March 14, 2020, when it was 256,000.
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