Nationwide, 1,427,000 filed for unemployment insurance last week
The U.S. Department of Labor issued its weekly report on initial claims for unemployment insurance this morning. Nationwide, the number of seasonally adjusted claims was 1,427,000 last week. This is 55,000 less than the (upwardly revised) number of claims for the previous week, 1,482,000. The 4-week moving average of seasonally adjusted claims was 1,503,750, down […]
July 01 , 2020 - Emily Makings
Happy Fiscal New Year!
What’s happy about it, I find myself grumbling. Given the bad news from the June revenue forecast, the pandemic, and the recession, it doesn’t feel much like a clean slate. Nevertheless, today is the first day of fiscal year 2021 and the second year of the 2019–21 biennium. FY 2021 is expected to be the […]
June 25 , 2020 - Kriss Sjoblom
In Washington 44,469 filed initial claims for unemployment insurance last week
This morning the state Employment Security Department (ESD) gave its weekly report on unemployment insurance claims. A note of caution about initial claims numbers: In May, Washington’s unemployment insurance system was hit by a rash of fraudulent claims (press release here). As a result, the unemployment insurance claims data released weekly by ESD have overstated […]
June 25 , 2020 - Kriss Sjoblom
Nationwide, 1,480,000 filed for unemployment insurance last week
The U.S. Department of Labor issued its weekly report on initial claims for unemployment insurance this morning. Nationwide, the number of seasonally adjusted claims was 1,480,000 last week. This is 60,000 less than the (upwardly revised) number of claims for the previous week, 1,540,000. The 4-week moving average of seasonally adjusted claims was 1,620,750, down […]
June 18 , 2020 - Emily Makings
The June caseload forecast and implications for the next budget
Yesterday the Caseload Forecast Council presented the June caseload forecast. The forecast includes caseloads for education; corrections; public assistance; children’s services; medical assistance; and aging, long term, and early support. Not surprisingly, the forecasts for many of the areas have changed significantly since February. Among the caseloads whose forecasts for 2020 and 2021 have increased […]
June 18 , 2020 - Kriss Sjoblom
Initial claims by sector
Here are four charts presenting initial claims for unemployment insurance reported by Washington state’s Employment Security Department (ESD) by sector for the period from March 1 to June 13. A note of caution about initial claims numbers: In May, Washington’s unemployment insurance system was hit by a rash of fraudulent claims (press release here). As […]
June 18 , 2020 - Kriss Sjoblom
In Washington 46,024 filed initial claims for unemployment insurance last week
This morning the state Employment Security Department (ESD) gave its weekly report on unemployment insurance claims. A note of caution about initial claims numbers: In May, Washington’s unemployment insurance system was hit by a rash of fraudulent claims (press release here). As a result, the unemployment insurance claims data released weekly by ESD have overstated […]
June 18 , 2020 - Kriss Sjoblom
Nationwide, 1,508,000 filed for unemployment insurance last week
The U.S. Department of Labor issued its weekly report on initial claims for unemployment insurance this morning. Nationwide, the number of seasonally adjusted claims was 1,508,000 last week. This is 58,000 less than the (upwardly revised) number of claims for the previous week, 1,566,000. The 4-week moving average of seasonally adjusted claims was 1,733,500, down […]
June 17 , 2020 - Kriss Sjoblom
Monthly state employment report
The state Employment Security Department released its Monthly Employment Report for June today. According to preliminary estimates from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the state gained 52,500 jobs, net, seasonally adjusted (SA), from April to May. This estimate is based on BLS’s monthly survey of employers, which counts as employed all persons who […]
June 17 , 2020 - Kriss Sjoblom
State revenue forecast update
At its quarterly meeting today, the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) updated its forecast of state revenues. This is the first official forecast to incorporate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent years, budget reports from legislative fiscal committees have typically rolled up three accounts: the general fund–state, the education legacy trust […]