The Employment Security Department reports 18,403 initial regular unemployment insurance claims were filed last week.
During the week of September 6 through September 12, there were 18,403 initial regular unemployment claims (down 8.0 percent from the prior week) and 566,443 total claims for all unemployment benefit categories (up 6.6 percent from the prior week) filed by Washingtonians, according to the Employment Security Department (ESD).
- Initial regular claims applications remain at elevated levels and are at 242 percent above last year’s weekly new claims applications.
- Initial claims applications for regular Unemployment Insurance decreased over the week while Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) initial claims all increased over the week.
The chart tracks claims filings over the last three weeks.
The Seattle Times reports the numbers show a slowing in the recovery.
After a strong rebound this summer, Washington state’s job market now seems caught between a steady stream of new layoffs and a slowdown in hiring by employers.
While we’re still optimistic about the trend heading into the fall, we remain concerned about the pace and sustainability of the recovery.
