When do unemployment numbers come out - Washington ESD weekly claims data release schedule?
I've been tracking unemployment trends for a research project and need to know when Washington ESD releases their weekly unemployment claims data. I know the federal numbers come out on Thursdays but can't figure out when Washington state specifically publishes their unemployment statistics. Does anyone know the exact schedule for when these numbers are made public? I'm particularly interested in initial claims and continued claims data.
37 comments
Join the conversation
Oliver Weber
Washington ESD typically releases their weekly unemployment data on Thursday mornings, usually around 8:30 AM Pacific time. This aligns with the federal Department of Labor release schedule. You can find the data on their website under the Labor Market Information section.
0 coins
Amina Toure
•Perfect, thank you! Is this every Thursday or do they skip certain weeks like holidays?
0 coins
Oliver Weber
•They follow the federal schedule, so sometimes holiday weeks get delayed by a day. Christmas week and New Year's week are usually the main exceptions.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
I think they also post monthly data but that comes out later in the month. The weekly stuff is what gets reported in the news every Thursday.
0 coins
Natasha Kuznetsova
•yeah the monthly employment report is different and comes out like 3 weeks after the month ends
0 coins
Javier Morales
The Washington Employment Security Department releases initial claims data every Thursday morning as part of the U.S. Department of Labor's weekly unemployment insurance claims report. This includes both seasonally adjusted and unadjusted figures for new claims filed in the previous week.
0 coins
Amina Toure
•This is exactly what I needed - thank you for the detailed explanation!
0 coins
Emma Anderson
•Do they break it down by county or just statewide numbers?
0 coins
Javier Morales
•The weekly release is statewide only. County-level data comes out monthly in the Labor Area Summary reports.
0 coins
Malik Thompson
I've been watching these numbers for months trying to understand the job market. The Thursday release is consistent but sometimes the Washington ESD website is slow to update their own page even after the federal data is out.
0 coins
Isabella Ferreira
•Same here! I check the DOL website first then Washington ESD later in the day.
0 coins
Amina Toure
•Good tip - I'll check both sources to make sure I have the most current data.
0 coins
Natasha Kuznetsova
btw if your trying to get historical data they have archives going back years on the washington esd site under labor market info
0 coins
Amina Toure
•That's really helpful for my research - I'll definitely check out their historical archives.
0 coins
Oliver Weber
Just to clarify - the Thursday release covers claims filed through the previous Saturday. So Thursday's data shows claims from Sunday through Saturday of the prior week.
0 coins
Amina Toure
•Good to know the exact cutoff dates - that timing makes sense for their processing schedule.
0 coins
CosmicVoyager
•Is there any way to get preliminary numbers before Thursday?
0 coins
Oliver Weber
•Not that I'm aware of. The data has to be compiled and verified before release.
0 coins
Emma Anderson
The numbers usually show up in local news reports by Thursday afternoon too if you prefer getting it that way instead of digging through government websites.
0 coins
Amina Toure
•True, though I prefer getting the raw data directly from the source for accuracy.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
Does anyone know if they adjust the numbers later or is the Thursday release final?
0 coins
Javier Morales
•They occasionally make revisions to prior weeks' data when they find errors or late reports, but it's not common. The current week's data is generally considered final.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•Thanks - good to know they're usually solid numbers.
0 coins
Isabella Ferreira
I work in economic development and we always get the unemployment data Thursday mornings. It's pretty reliable timing - has been consistent for years.
0 coins
Amina Toure
•That's reassuring to hear from someone who uses this data professionally.
0 coins
Malik Thompson
•Do you find the Washington state numbers track pretty closely with national trends?
0 coins
Isabella Ferreira
•Generally yes, though Washington sometimes has different seasonal patterns due to our industry mix.
0 coins
Natasha Kuznetsova
just fyi they also release continuing claims data at the same time not just new claims
0 coins
Amina Toure
•Right, I mentioned I was interested in both initial and continued claims - good reminder.
0 coins
CosmicVoyager
I tried to find this info last month and it took me forever. Why don't they make the release schedule more obvious on their website?
0 coins
Oliver Weber
•I agree their website could be more user-friendly for finding this kind of information.
0 coins
Natasha Kuznetsova
•government websites are notoriously bad at organizing information in a logical way
0 coins
Javier Morales
For the most comprehensive data, I'd recommend checking both the weekly claims report and the monthly Labor Area Summary. The weekly data gives you the immediate pulse, while the monthly report provides more detailed breakdowns and context.
0 coins
Amina Toure
•This thread has been incredibly helpful - I now have a clear understanding of the release schedule and data sources. Thank you everyone!
0 coins
Emma Anderson
•Glad we could help! Good luck with your research project.
0 coins
Malik Thompson
One last thing - if you're doing analysis, remember that the data can be volatile week to week due to holidays, weather, or other factors. Looking at 4-week moving averages gives a better trend picture.
0 coins
Amina Toure
•Excellent point about smoothing out the volatility - I'll definitely use moving averages in my analysis.
0 coins