OESC Improves Claims Process with Launch of VerifyOK

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) reports that unemployment claims increased for the week ending Oct. 22.

“The low number of unemployment claims that we have seen in recent weeks is encouraging, and some volatility in the weekly data is expected. OESC is continuing to monitor national trends to ensure we’re providing the services and resources that Oklahoma businesses and individuals need to successfully navigate the job market,” said Trae Rahill, OESC Executive Director. “This week’s launch of VerifyOK, our revamped digital identity verification system, will further improve the claims process for Oklahomans and is a huge success in the agency’s digital transformation efforts. We’re confident that this new system will improve efficiency and serve as a critical resource in verifying the validity of unemployment claims.”

Trae Rahill was named as the Executive Director of OESC on Monday, Oct. 31. Additional information can be found HERE.

• For the file week ending Oct. 22, the number of initial claims, unadjusted, totaled 1,275, an increase of 262 from the previous week's level of 1,013. 
• For the same file week, the less volatile initial claims’ four-week moving average was 1,099, an increase of 77 from the previous week's average of 1,022.
• The unadjusted number of continued claims totaled 9,366, an increase of 248 from the previous week’s level of 9,118. 
• For the same file week, the less volatile continued claims’ four-week moving average was 9,209, an increase of 111 from the previous week's average of 9,098.

Nationally, the advance figure for seasonally-adjusted initial claims for the week ending Oct. 29 was 217,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level, the U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. DOL) reports. The four-week moving average was 218,750, a decrease of 500 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.