Oklahoma unemployment claims a mixed bag

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Unemployment claims in Oklahoma showed mixed numbers as initial claims for benefits declined while continuing claims increased, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission said Thursday,

For the week ending April 17, unadjusted initial claims of 16,034 were below the previous week’s number of 17,997 while continuing claims for benefits rose from 25,593 to 31,976, OESC reported.

“Last week, we saw a decrease in initial claims, with an increase in continued employment claims, which is likely due to an increase in initial claims from the previous week rolling into the continued claims category,” OESC director Shelley Zumwalt said.

The commission is hosting career fairs in five cities across the state during May and a virtual career fair to help people find jobs.

There have been reported totals of 446,246 virus cases and 8,197 deaths, based on data provided to the federal Centers for Disease Control, since the pandemic began, according to the state health department.