Initial and Continued Claims Decrease

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) reports that initial and continued claims decreased for the week ending Aug. 6, while the four-week moving average increased slightly for both initial and continued claims.

“This week’s decrease in statewide claims is encouraging. As we have seen over the past several weeks, claims numbers continue to fluctuate, so we will remain vigilant in monitoring unemployment trends to ensure we’re providing Oklahomans the services they need,” said Shelley Zumwalt, OESC Executive Director. “The state continues to stand out nationally for its successful economic recovery efforts. Due to our long-term focus on diversifying industries within Oklahoma, we’re seeing new opportunities for workforce growth across key sectors such as aerospace, aviation, biotech, energy and technology. A recent report from the Computing Technology Industry Association ranks Oklahoma as sixth in the nation for tech jobs growth for the month of August, a major accomplishment that translates to quality, high-paying jobs for Oklahomans. OESC had the opportunity to showcase our state’s economic strength to key leaders from across the nation at the recent NGA Summer 2022 Workforce Symposium in Oklahoma City, further positioning Oklahoma as a place where businesses and employees can thrive.” 

• For the file week ending Aug. 6, the number of initial claims, unadjusted, totaled 2,557, a decrease of 921 from the previous week's level of 3,478.
• For the same file week, the less volatile initial claims’ four-week moving average was 2,799, an increase of 112 from the previous week's average of 2,687.
• The unadjusted number of continued claims totaled 11,261, a decrease of 194 from the previous week’s level of 11,455.
• For the same file week, the less volatile continued claims’ four-week moving average was 11,336, an increase of 125 from the previous week's average of 11,211.

Nationally, the advance figure for seasonally-adjusted initial claims for the week ending Aug. 13 was 250,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised level, the U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. DOL) reports. The four-week moving average was 246,750, a decrease of 2,750 from the previous week's revised average.

The national weekly seasonally adjusted initial claims report is one of 10 components in the Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators. To smooth out the volatility in the weekly initial claims data, a four-week moving average is used to assess trends.