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Oklahoma Jobless Claims Dip, But High Unemployment Will Persist

Workers at a site of a pipeline under construction along state Highway 75 north of Horntown.
Brent Fuchs
/
Journal Record

This is the Business Intelligence Report, a weekly conversation about business news in Oklahoma. Joining me this week is Russell Ray, editor of The Journal Record.

 

The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the economy. By the end of this month we could be talking about levels of unemployment not seen since the worst days of the Great Depression. About 100-thousand Americans are dead as a result of COVID-19, even as the nation and our state attempt to slowly reopen. So, when there’s any kind of news that can be interpreted as somewhat positive, in any way, I want to put some focus on it. Russell, as was reported in The Journal Record last week, first time unemployment claims in Oklahoma are dropping.

Full, Expanded Transcript: 

RAY: The number of jobless claims filed with the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission for the week ending May 16 were down from the previous week but remain high compared to the pre-COVID-19 and oil industry crises... For the week ending May 16, unadjusted initial claims in Oklahoma totaled 23,880, a decrease of 15,199 from the previous adjusted week of 39,079.

LAYDEN: That’s not unexpected at this point, as that initial wave starts to subside. But certainly, whether we’re talking about the coronavirus pandemic or the oil industry crisis, which are of course related, Oklahoma is going to be dealing with significant unemployment and all of the trickle-down impacts of that for a long time to come. To complicate things for people who are out of work, the process of accessing unemployment benefits isn’t exactly smooth or problem-free…

RAY: U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn released a report with the results of a survey on Oklahoma unemployment assistance her office conducted... She said 860 Oklahomans responded to the survey with their experience using or attempting to use the state’s unemployment system... According to the survey, 92% of respondents rated their experience with the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission as either “very negative” or “somewhat negative” and 84% of respondents have not yet received unemployment assistance, either due to problems with the application or delays in receiving benefits... Horn’s survey also found that 80% of respondents with a pending application have waited over a month for help and 51% of respondents reported three or more significant roadblocks in applying for and receiving unemployment assistance… 

LAYDEN: Your paper also reported on Norman Democratic State Senator Mary Boren’s comments during a virtual news conference last week... She said “the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission is underfunded, understaffed and technologically unable to serve the demands of the COVID-19 economic crisis... And at a rally at the capitol, business owners and self-employed professionals complained that filings go unprocessed, calls go unanswered and promises are not kept… 

RAY: All of this comes amid reports last week that the head of the employment agency, Robin Roberson, resigned amid all of these criticisms...  In March, Oklahoma received more than $10 million from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to scale unemployment assistance operations during the COVID-19 pandemic... To file for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, an individual must first be denied regular unemployment insurance benefits, according to the OESC... Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA, is designed for gig workers, independent contractors, and other self-employed individuals who do not qualify for regular unemployment relief... More than $736 million in total benefits have been paid to claimants during the COVID-19 and oil industry crises, with more than 450,000 filing for unemployment relief by the week ending May 16.

LAYDEN: But it’s still good to see the week-over-week numbers coming down at least some. 

RAY: Yes… David Ostrown, the state’s secretary for Digital Transformation, said It’s good to see the numbers declining even though initial claims for unemployment remain at historic levels… He said some of last week’s initial claims can be attributed to individuals who don’t qualify for regular unemployment and to claimants filing for extended unemployment benefits known as PUA and PEUC relief.

LAYDEN: Russell Ray is editor of The Journal Record. KGOU and The Journal Record collaborate each week on the Business Intelligence Report. You can follow us both on social media. We're on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @journalrecord and @KGOUnews. The story we discussed today is available on JournalRecord.com. And this conversation, along with previous episodes of the Business Intelligence Report, are available on our website, KGOU.org. For KGOU and the Business Intelligence Report, I'm Logan Layden.

The Business Intelligence Report is a collaborative news project between KGOU and The Journal Record.

As a community-supported news organization, KGOU relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donateonline, or by contacting our Membershipdepartment.

The Journal Record is a multi-faceted media company specializing in business, legislative and legal news. Print and online content is available via subscription.

Music provided by Midday Static

Logan Layden is a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma. Logan spent six years as a reporter with StateImpact from 2011 to 2017.
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