OESC reports an increase in initial and continued claims

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) reports an overall decline in the unemployment rate for June 2021. The agency also reports that initial claims rose and the initial claims’ four-week moving average declined, while both the continued claims’ and the continued claims’ four-week moving average increased.

“We are thrilled to see that the unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent for June, which is the lowest it has been since March 2020,” said Shelley Zumwalt, OESC Executive Director. “Although we see the weekly initial and continued claims continue to fluctuate, our state is doing incredibly well and is tied for eighth for the lowest unemployment rate. The agency is continuing to focus on rebuilding the workforce through our re-employment efforts and by continuing the manual review of the Back-to-Work Initiative applications and getting that money into the hands of Oklahomans.”

The agency is also reaching out to many claimants who had an active claim between May 2-15 to encourage them to apply for the Back-toWork Initiative if they are eligible.

“Communications will be coming from the agency to claimants who may be eligible for the initiative but have not yet applied,” said Zumwalt. “We want to ensure that all eligible claimants are able to apply for the $1,200 if they meet the eligibility qualifications.”

As a reminder, the agency will not ask you to share personal information through an unsecure site, including texting, social media or e-mail. When applying for the initiative, be sure to only upload any required personal information to OESC’s secure website at https://oklahoma.gov/oesc/individuals.