OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) reports that unemployment claims decreased across all reporting categories for the week ending Sept. 24.
“It’s been an honor to serve as executive director of OESC and be part of the state’s continued innovation and growth in workforce and economic development,” said Shelley Zumwalt, OESC Executive Director. “We’re encouraged to see considerable decreases in this week’s numbers, which have remained steady throughout the month of September. Over the past two years, we have served tens of thousands of Oklahomans, led the state through unprecedented claims volumes and seen unemployment stabilize to more normal levels. I’m working with our leadership team to ensure a smooth transition and am confident the agency as a whole will continue supporting the people of Oklahoma to establish a strong, competitive and sustainable workforce.”
Director Zumwalt’s last day at OESC will be Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022.
Weekly Unemployment Numbers for Week Ending Sept. 24
- For the file week ending Sept. 24, the number of initial claims, unadjusted, totaled 969, a decrease of 515 from the previous week's level of 1,484.
- For the same file week, the less volatile initial claims’ four-week moving average was 1,920, a decrease of 143 from the previous week's average of 2,063.
- The unadjusted number of continued claims totaled 8,919, a decrease of 1,038 from the previous week’s level of 9,957.
- For the same file week, the less volatile continued claims’ four-week moving average was 9,747, a decrease of 346 from the previous week's average of 10,093.
Nationally, the advance figure for seasonally-adjusted initial claims for the week ending Oct. 1 was 219,000, an increase of 29,000 from the previous week's revised level, the U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. DOL) reports. The four-week moving average was 206,500, an increase of 250 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.
