EDITORIAL: High jobless claims a drag on the economy

Enid News & Eagle, Okla.
·2 min read

Mar. 20—While we all crave the positive news that COVID cases are going down and vaccinations are increasing, there is still one major unsettling aspect of the pandemic crisis we have all been living with the past year.

The nation's jobless rate continues to hold back true economic recovery. The number of Americans seeking employment benefits rose last week to 770,000, a sign that layoffs remain high, even as the U.S. economy shows steady improvement.

Of course, jobless numbers have dropped sharply since the grips of the pandemic recession a few months ago. But, many employers continue to lay off or are slow to add jobs back. Before the pandemic, applications for unemployment aid had never topped 700,000 in any one week.

Amid the backlogs of unemployment claims processing and fraud claims, true jobless numbers remain in a bit of a fog. And the spate of recent extreme winter weather also apparently elevated jobless claims.

In Oklahoma, the jobless rate has been holding right around 4%. Our state is faring a little better than many other states. Still, for those who lost their job and haven't been able to find another one, that doesn't mean much. People just need jobs.

For those who haven't been able to find a job, there are few things to do that might help. First, decide if you need to be retrained in another field or enhance the skills you already have. Check out what Autry Technology Center offers and see if any of those programs are a fit.

Also, increase your online professional presence. Take a look at your social media profiles to make sure what you are posting isn't possibly holding you back.

Try applying for a temporary job. It's a great way to demonstrate your work ethic to potential employers. Often taking a temporary job is the best thing to do to build your network and skills.

We are hopeful that the jobless numbers will start to see steady and sustained improvement. Vaccinations continue to ramp up, and for many, doubt about the vaccinations is subsiding. More Americans are traveling, albeit carefully. And, if COVID cases continue a sustained decline, it will bring better job news ahead.