Initial, continued and initial claims’ four-week average numbers increase

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) reports that initial claims, continued claims, and the initial claims’ four-week moving average increased while the continued claims’ four-week moving average slightly declined for the week ending March 26.

“We are watching Oklahoma’s unemployment numbers closely as they have trended up over the last few weeks,” said OESC Executive Director Shelley Zumwalt. “We are likely seeing a return to more sustainable unemployment numbers after recently experiencing the lowest unemployment rates in the state and nation, combined with cyclical market events. Keeping all of this in mind, Oklahoma’s economy and workforce are continuing to thrive, and our unemployment rates remain below pre-pandemic levels.”

Weekly Unemployment Numbers for Week Ending March 26

• For the file week ending March 26, the number of initial claims, unadjusted, totaled 2,946, an increase of 685 from the previous week's level of 2,261. 

• For the same file week, the less volatile initial claims’ four-week moving average was 2,156, an increase of 377 from the previous week's average of 1,779.

• The number of continued claims totaled 11,921, an increase of 299 from the previous week’s level of 11,622.

• Continued claims’ four-week moving average was 11,849, a decrease of two from the previous week's average of 11,851.

Nationally, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for the week ending April 2 was 166,000, 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 170,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised average. For the week ending March 26, the U.S. DOL reports the advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.1%, unchanged 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.

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.

Submitted report

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.