Unemployment numbers remain steady
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) reports that continued claims, initial claims and the continued claims’ four-week moving average decreased, while the initial claims’ four-week moving average increased slightly for the week ending June 11.
“Oklahoma’s unemployment numbers remain steady through seasonal shifts, with more individuals participating in the state workforce than ever before,” said OESC Executive Director Shelley Zumwalt. “In addition to our strong workforce participation, there are many employment opportunities currently available for those seeking jobs across the state. OESC is committed to connecting Oklahomans to these jobs through our variety of employment and training programs. We will continue to monitor unemployment numbers closely over the coming months as interest rates fluctuate to ensure our agency is responsive to any changes in the state workforce brought on by the US Federal Reserve’s announcement earlier this month.”
Weekly Unemployment Numbers for Week Ending June 11
- For the file week ending June 11, the number of initial claims, unadjusted, totaled 1,915, a decrease of 58 from the previous week’s level of 1,973.
- For the same file week, the less volatile initial claims’ four-week moving average was 2,069, an increase of 6 from the previous week’s average of 2,063.
- The unadjusted number of continued claims totaled 10,925, a decrease of 86 from the previous week’s level of 11,011.
- For the same file week, the less volatile continued claims’ four-week moving average was 10,583, a decrease of 85 from the previous week’s average of 10,668.
Nationally, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for the week ending June 18 was 229,000, 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 223,500, an increase of 4,500 from the previous week’s revised average. For the week ending June 11, the U.S. DOL reports the advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 0.9%, unchanged from the previous week’s unrevised 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.
Claimant Resources
OESC is an excellent resource for people looking to reenter the job market by connecting Oklahomans with available employment through https://okjobmatch.com/.
To learn about labor market information, including wage information, skills employers are looking for, standard pay, how to negotiate salary, and more, visit https://oklahoma.gov/oesc/labor-market.
For resume writing assistance and access to hiring events, visit an Oklahoma Works – American Job Center location. Locations can be found at https://oklahoma.gov/oesc/locations.
Claimants looking for work who need child care assistance are encouraged to use the Oklahoma Department of Human Services’ (OKDHS) 60 days of subsidized child care by visiting https://okdhslive.org/.
All RESEA selected claimants will receive labor market information that provides claimants with information about the job market, including skills employers are looking for, standard pay, how to negotiate salary, and more.
Individuals seeking unemployment benefits should go to https://ui.ok.gov and create an account with the Get Started button to connect their Social Security number and pull all unemployment information into one location.
Unemployment claimants should be aware that not returning to work when recalled or when work is available could potentially lead to disqualification from receiving unemployment benefits.
Employers may report this activity by emailing returntowork@oesc.state.ok.us, calling 405-962-7524, or mailing OESC at P.O. Box 52006, Oklahoma City, OK, 73152-2006.
If a claimant returns to work full time, they should keep their unemployment claim open with OESC and not certify a weekly claim. If they return part-time, a claimant may continue to certify their weekly claim and must report all gross earnings for the week to potentially receive a partial benefit. Eligibility for continued benefits is determined by the circumstances of each individual claimant.
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