Initial Claims Decrease for Third Consecutive Week

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) reports that initial claims and the initial claims’ four-week moving average decreased, while continued claims and continued claims’ four-week moving average increased for the week ending June 18.

“The consistent decrease in initial claims throughout the month of June indicates Oklahomans are finding and accepting employment opportunities — contributing to the highest workforce participation levels in the state’s history,” said OESC Executive Director Shelley Zumwalt. “These sustained levels of high workforce participation reinforce the current strength of the state’s economy and stability of the job market. For any Oklahomans currently seeking employment, OESC is committed to connecting them with the resources they need. Visit one of our local office locations, our website or our social channels for information and resources regarding employment opportunities across Oklahoma.” 

• For the file week ending June 18, the number of initial claims, unadjusted, totaled 1,581, a decrease of 334 from the previous week's level of 1,915.
• For the same file week, the less volatile initial claims’ four-week moving average was 2,010, a decrease of 59 from the previous week's average of 2,069.
• The unadjusted number of continued claims totaled 11,039, an increase of 114 from the previous week’s level of 10,925.
• For the same file week, the less volatile continued claims’ four-week moving average was 10,795, an increase of 212 from the previous week's average of 10,583.

Nationally, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for the week ending June 25 was 231,000, 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 231,750, an increase of 7,250 from the previous week's revised average. For the week ending June 18, the U.S. DOL reports the advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 0.9%, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the previous week's revised rate.

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.