First-time unemployment claims in the state increased 30% the week ending Saturday from the prior week’s adjusted numbers, according to a government report.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that 2,381 initial claims for unemployment benefits were filed in Oklahoma for the week ending Saturday.
An upwardly revised total of 1,826 first-time claims for benefits were filed the week ending Jan. 1.
Last week marked the first time since late September that initial claims have increased two consecutive weeks.
Meanwhile, continued claims, those filed after at least one week of unemployment, declined 5%, from an upwardly revised 13,679 the week ending Dec. 25 to 12,962 claims the following week.
Continued claims for the week ending Dec. 25 — revised this week from 12,714 to 13,679 — reduced the number of consecutive weeks continued claims had declined from four weeks to three weeks.
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The less volatile four-week moving average of initial claims declined from 2,090 filings the week ending Dec. 25 to 2,018 filings the following week. Continued claims when viewed on a four-week moving average also declined for the fourth consecutive week, going from 13,939 claims to 13,496.
Shelley Zumwalt, Oklahoma Employment Security Commission executive director, said in a statement Thursday that the agency is committed to ensuring that Oklahomans have access to job opportunities and that employers in the state can connect with eligible job seekers.
“Our state leaders are focused on and have been successful in their efforts to attract new businesses to Oklahoma that are offering high-quality new positions to job seekers,” Zumwalt said. “In addition, we see existing Oklahoma businesses continuing to grow and offer new job opportunities.”
The agency urged job seekers to visit its social media pages on Twitter and Facebook to view openings.
Nationally, first-time claims for unemployment benefits increased by 23,000 filings to 230,000 the week ending Saturday, according to seasonally-adjusted numbers.
New Mexico was the only state bordering Oklahoma that saw a decline in initial claims for unemployment benefits.
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