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

ESD reported a total of 24,795 initial claims for unemployment insurance during the week ending October 24. Of this total, 14,198 initial claims were under the regular state unemployment insurance program; 3,603 claims were under the federal pandemic unemployment assistance program, which covers self-employed persons, independent contractors and part-time workers; and 6,994 claims were under the federal pandemic unemployment compensation program, which extends the maximum term of benefits from 26 weeks to 39 weeks.

The number of new claims for regular unemployment insurance is a decrease of 2,692 from the number of claims filed during the preceding week. The four-week moving average of regular initial claims is 17,227, down 884 from the preceding week. Regular claims remain well above the peak reached during the Great Recession.

The number of initial claims under the two pandemic programs is a decrease of 1,173 from the number filed during the preceding week.

We estimate that the seasonally adjusted 4-week average of regular initial claims was 20,853, down from 23,032 (revised) the preceding week. Seasonally adjusted regular claims remain above the peak reached during the Great Recession.

Note: In May, Washington’s unemployment insurance system was hit by a rash of fraudulent claims. Most of these false claims were filed between May 1 and May 16, which coincides with the second, lower peak during the current recession.

ESD reports that continuing claims for unemployment insurance totaled 450,646 in the most recent week. This is a decrease of 11,935 from the number reported for the preceding week.

The ESD press release is here.