A new report from the state government shows unemployment rates improved over 2017 for most counties in Oklahoma.
Unemployment rates were lower than a year earlier in 75 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties according to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. McIntosh County in eastern central Oklahoma had the highest December 2017 rate at 7.4 percent. Latimer in the southeast was second highest at 7.1 percent.
Woods County, where the county seat is Alva had the state’s lowest jobless rate for the month at 2.1 percent. Alfalfa, Beaver and Cimarron Counties were tied for second lowest at 2.2 percent.
Energy saw employment remain at 45,100 from November to December while the yearly gain was 1,600 or an increase of 3.7 percent. Energy jobs are classified under Mining, Logging and Construction.
Employment in the Trade, Transportation and Utilities sector rose by 800 jobs from November 2017 to December 2017, reaching a total of 113,600. The additional jobs represented an increase of less than one percent from month to month. However, the employment for the sector was also 3,200 fewer jobs than in December 2016. That figures to be a drop of 3.8 percent from year to year.
The number of jobs in the Information sector dropped by 100 from November 2017 to December 2017, settling at 8,800. That’s a drop of 1.1% However, compared to December 2016, the employment was 6.0% higher.
Employment in the Telecommunications division of the Information Sector remained steady at 2,900 from month to month but 200 fewer than December 2016. It calculated to be a 6.5% decline.