Adrienne Roberts and Kristi Tanner
Detroit Free Press
Initial claims for regular unemployment benefits in Oklahoma increased last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
New claims, a proxy for layoffs, rose to 9,364 in the week ending May 29, up from 8,360 the week before, the Labor department said.
There were 60,376 new claims in Oklahoma at the same time last year.
U.S. unemployment claims continued their downward slide. Claims for regular benefits dropped to 385,000 last week, down 20,000 claims from 405,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Claims on a seasonally adjusted basis have now declined for five straight weeks. Last week marks the first time claims have fallen below 400,000 since before the pandemic.
Jobless aid requests fall for 5th straight week
PAUL WISEMAN | Associated Press
WASHINGTON – The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week for a fifth straight week to a new pandemic low, the latest evidence that the U.S. job market is regaining its health as the economy further reopens.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims dropped to 385,000, down 20,000 from the week before. The number of weekly applications for unemployment aid, which generally reflects the pace of layoffs, has fallen steadily all year, though it remains high by historical standards.
The decline in applications reflects a swift rebound in economic growth and the job market s steady recovery from the novel coronavirus recession. More Americans are venturing out to shop, travel, dine out and congregate at entertainment venues. All that renewed spending has led companies to seek new workers.