Oklahoma Unemployment Claims Set Record

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma has set a new record for unemployment claims as the effect of the global recession continues to be felt in the state.

John Carpenter of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission said Tuesday the state paid out $20.8 million last week on 64,190 claims. Carpenter says that's an all-time record and that the commission has been setting new unemployment claims records since the beginning of the year.

In addition, Carpenter says that at the end of June, the state had paid out about $274 million to jobless Oklahomans. Oklahoma paid out just under $183 million all of last year.

In spite of the growth in unemployment payments, the state's Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund remains healthy. Carpenter says the fund contained $715.5 million at the end of June.