The state government says unemployment rates in June were lower than a year ago in 70 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties. They were higher in five other counties and unchanged in two counties according to a break-down of the county rates.
The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reported Alfalfa County where Alva is the county seat had the lowest jobless rate in the state at 1.9 percent for June. Beaver and Cimarron Counties were second lowest at 2 percent.
Latimer and McIntosh Counties had the highest jobless rates at 6.2 percent. McCurtain County was second highest for the month with a jobless rate of 5.8 percent.
Energy jobs are figured in the category of Mining, Logging and Construction. Oklahoma City reported 54,400 employed in the industry in June 2019 which was 600 more than May 2019. That’s an increase of 1.1 percent. The June 2019 employment was also 1,800 higher or 3.4 percent more than the 52,600 reported in June of 2018.
Tulsa’s energy employment totaled 32,600 in June 2019, a decline of 200 or 0.6 percent from May 2019. But it was still 800 or 2.5 percent higher than June 2018.
Lawton’s energy employment remained at 1,700 from May to June 2019 and was 100 higher than June 2018. The increase figured to be 6.3 percent.
