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

ESD reported a total of 24,434 initial claims for unemployment insurance during the week ending October 31. Of this total, 14,681 initial claims were under the regular state unemployment insurance program; 3,051 claims were under the federal pandemic unemployment assistance program, which covers self-employed persons, independent contractors and part-time workers; and 6,702 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 an increase of 483 from the number of claims filed during the preceding week. The four-week moving average of regular initial claims is 17,023, down 204 from the preceding week.

The number of initial claims under the two pandemic programs is a decrease of 844 from the number filed during the preceding week.

We estimate that the seasonally adjusted 4-week average of regular initial claims was 20,010, down from 21,031 (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 441,129 in the most recent week. This is a decrease of 9,517 from the number reported for the preceding week.

The ESD press release is here.