When will August Washington ESD unemployment numbers be released?

Perfect, that gives me a deadline to work with. Thanks for the specific timeline!

Is that just the statewide numbers or do they break it down by county too?

I looked there but couldn't find a specific calendar. Maybe I missed it - do you have a direct link?

Try searching for 'labor market information calendar' on their site. Sometimes the navigation is a bit buried.

It's for academic research on post-COVID employment recovery patterns. Good luck with your job search though!

The job market has been weird lately. Lots of postings but companies seem really picky about candidates.

That's really helpful context. So August data would be mid to late September then?

Exactly. Usually around the 15th-20th of the following month. Sometimes there are delays if they need to revise previous months' data.

Good idea, though I've heard their phone lines can be pretty busy.

Oh man, getting through to Washington ESD on the phone is nearly impossible. I spent hours trying to reach someone about my claim last month. If you really need to talk to them, there's actually a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps people get through to ESD agents faster. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

That level of detail is exactly what I need. Sounds like patience is key here.

Yeah the Washington data is actually pretty good compared to some states. They include seasonal adjustments and historical comparisons too.

FRED is a great resource! I use it for other economic indicators but hadn't thought to check for state-level unemployment data there.

FRED usually gets the data from the same sources but sometimes posts it a day or two earlier than state websites.

That's exactly the kind of seasonal variation I'm hoping to capture in my research. Thanks for pointing that out.

Don't forget about the Boeing situation too - that's been affecting manufacturing employment numbers all year.

Good point. The weekly claims data does give a faster pulse on what's happening in the job market.

Weekly claims are released every Thursday morning for the previous week. Much more timely than monthly rates.

Consistency is good to know. Makes it easier to plan research timelines.

Yeah they learned from the chaos during 2020-2021 when everything was delayed and confusing.

Perfect suggestion! That'll save me from obsessively checking their website every day.

The email alerts are actually pretty reliable. I get them for various labor market reports and they're usually sent the same day data is posted.

Oh that's crucial information! I definitely need to account for any methodological changes in my analysis.

They usually include revision notes in the monthly reports explaining any changes or corrections to previous data.

I might need to do that if I have specific questions about their data collection methods.

What's Claimyr? I've never heard of that service.

It's a service that helps you get through to ESD phone lines faster. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video that explains how it works.

Definitely planning to look at both seasonally adjusted and non-adjusted numbers. The seasonal patterns are part of what I'm investigating.

Smart approach. The raw numbers can be misleading without understanding the seasonal context.

Good to know about revisions. For my timeline I think I can work with preliminary data, but I'll note that in my methodology.

The revisions are usually pretty minor unless there was some data collection issue. Washington is generally pretty accurate with their initial estimates.

That's a great suggestion! I'll try that approach first before attempting to call.

Their economists are usually pretty helpful for legitimate research inquiries. Much better than trying to get through the regular customer service lines.

Thanks for that heads up. I'm focusing on statewide trends but good to know about the reliability differences.

Yeah the rural county data can be pretty volatile month to month. Better to look at quarterly or annual averages for those areas.

Absolutely! Proper citation of data sources and timing is crucial for reproducibility.

Most economic research papers I've seen include a data appendix with all the source information and collection dates.

I hadn't thought about incorporating forecast data. That could add an interesting forward-looking dimension to my research.

OFM usually releases their employment forecasts twice a year and they're pretty well-regarded for accuracy.

Thanks! I'm really excited to see what patterns emerge in the post-pandemic employment recovery data.

Would love to read your findings when you're done. This kind of research helps us all understand what's really happening in the job market.