Continued Claims Decrease, Initial Claims Increase

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) reports that continued claims and continued claims’ four-week average decreased, while initial claims and initial claims’ four-week average increased for the week ending Sept. 3.

“With continued volatility in weekly claims numbers, we are watching longer-term unemployment trends closely to ensure we are providing resources to meet the needs of Oklahomans,” said Shelley Zumwalt, OESC Executive Director. “OESC has ongoing efforts to support businesses and job seekers in every community, particularly in areas with historically high unemployment. Over the past month, we have successfully implemented the UI Navigator Grant awarded earlier this year. By placing an OESC employee in the Oasis Fresh Market in Tulsa, we have connected with individuals in the community and provided immediate assistance. Our agency will continue to find innovative ways to serve Oklahomans with our workforce efforts.”

• For the file week ending Sept. 3, the number of initial claims, unadjusted, totaled 3,477, an increase of 1,935 from the previous week's level of 1,542. 
• For the same file week, the less volatile initial claims’ four-week moving average was 2,949, an increase of 230 from the previous week's average of 2,719.
• The unadjusted number of continued claims totaled 10,166, a decrease of 135 from the previous week’s level of 10,301. 
• For the same file week, the less volatile continued claims’ four-week moving average was 10,673, a decrease of 274 from the previous week's average of 10,947.

Nationally, the advance figure for seasonally-adjusted initial claims for the week ending Sept. 10 was 213,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised level, the U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. DOL) reports. The four-week moving average was 224,000, a decrease of 8,000 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.