Oil and gas counties have lowest jobless rates in Oklahoma

Oklahoma’s latest county-by-county unemployment figures show some of the state’s prolific oil and gas production counties also have some of the lowest jobless rates in the state.

Counties that make up the STACK play include Blaine with a rate of 2.1%. Kingfisher County’s rate is 2.2% while the jobless rate in Canadian County is 3.0%. Surrounding counties have similar low rates, no doubt thanks in part to the high oil and gas exploration.

Kingfisher county’s jobless rate is 5th lowest in the state. It remained at 2.2% from June to July and was up slightly from the 2.1% recorded in July 2018.

The unemployment rate in Blaine County rose slipped from 2.2% in June to 2.1% for June of 2019. The rate for July of 2018 was 2.4%. The July 2019 rate was tied for second lowest in Oklahoma.

In Canadian County, unemployment in July was 3.0%, same as for June 2019. The county’s July 2018 jobless rate was 2.7%.

Alfalfa County’s unemployment rate is 2.1% according to the latest figures supplied by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

A review of some of the counties in the SCOOP shows a 3.1% jobless rate in Grady County, 2.7% in McClain County and 4.4% in Stephens County.

Overall, Cimarron County in the Panhandle has the state’s lowest jobless rate at 2.0%. The Employment Security Commission indicated jobless rates moved up over the year for most counties in July. They were higher in 49 counties, lower in 16 counties and unchanged in 12 counties.

The number of those employed in the energy sector is categorized as Mining, Logging and Construction in the Commission’s reporting method. Oklahoma City’s employment in the sector increased by 1,900 or 3.5% from June 2019 to July 2019. It was also up by 3,500 or 6.6% since July of 2018.

The Mining and Logging employment in Tulsa rose by 100 or 1.4% from June 2019 to July 2019. It was up 200 from July 2018 or 2.8%.