This morning the state Employment Security Department (ESD) gave its weekly report on unemployment insurance claims.

ESD reported a total of 17,665 initial claims for unemployment insurance during the week ending April 17. Of this total, 13,216 initial claims were filed under the regular state unemployment insurance program; 1,884 claims were under the federal pandemic unemployment assistance program, which covers self-employed persons, independent contractors and part-time workers; and 2,565 claims were filed under the federal pandemic unemployment compensation program, which adds 13 weeks to the maximum term of benefits.

The number of new claims for regular unemployment insurance is a decrease of 4,065 from the number of claims filed during the preceding week. ESD notes:

Decreases in layoffs in Health Care and Social Assistance, Construction, Retail Trade and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting contributed to the decrease in regular initial claims last week. … There were fewer individuals who filed for new claims because their benefit year had ended, also contributing to the decrease in regular initial claims.

The four-week moving average of regular initial claims is 13,451, up 455 from the preceding week. I estimate that the seasonally adjusted 4-week average of regular initial claims was 14,222 up from 13,794 (revised) the preceding week.

The number of initial claims under the two federal pandemic programs is a decrease of 592 from the number filed during the preceding week.

ESD reports that continuing claims for unemployment insurance totaled 396,749 in the most recent week. This is a decrease of 9,405 from the number reported for the preceding week and the second lowest number since the onset of the pandemic recession.

The ESD press release is here.