OKLAHOMA CITY – Most Oklahoma unemployment figures show the state’s jobless rate is improving week to week, according to numbers released by the Oklahoma Employment Securities Commission.
Although initial claims for the week ending October 2 were up by 222 cases, the four-week average declined by 92 filings.
Figures also show the number of continued claims totaled 18,527, a decrease of 867 from the previous week’s level of 19,394 claims. In addition, the continued claims’ four-week moving average was 20,330, a decrease of 1,338 from the previous week’s average of 21,668 claims.
“Weekly filings will always fluctuate, so to get a better, more accurate look at the way the state is trending for unemployment numbers the four-week average is the more significant number,” said Taylor Adams, OESC’s director of communications.
Oklahoma’s latest jobless rate is listed at 3.2%, which is a vast improvement from October 2020 when the unemployment rate stood at 5.2%. In July, Oklahoma boasted the eighth-lowest unemployment rate in the nation.
Still, people are not applying for or accepting jobs that have been advertised by several companies.
“We expect to see a trend in difficulty filling positions as this is a natural effect of a low-unemployment environment,” Adams said.
However, other factors may play into the difficulty employers have in filling jobs. Marketwatch.com reported in June that a recent U.S. Census Bureau questionnaire of more than 101 million respondents, 6.9 million said they were caring for children not in daycare; more than 2.4 million said they were caring for an elderly person, and more than 828,800 people claimed they did not have transportation to work.
However, Adams said OESC officials recognize many Oklahomans are still looking for employment and offers a number of re-employment programs, including training, career fairs and resources.
OESC also has partnered with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services to connect claimants with 60 days of free childcare, which is available to all job seekers.