Oklahoma’s unemployment rate continues its downward movement with rates lower in April than a year earlier in 64 of 77 counties.
The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reports the lowest jobless rate was 25 in Blaine County while rates in Beaver and Cimarron counties were 2.1%.
The highest jobless rate, 6.7% was in McIntosh County. Latimer, Haskell and Pushmataha Counties were in the range of 4.6% to 6.1%.
Oklahoma City’s oil and gas industry, under the Mining, Logging and Construction category, saw a 9.1% increase in employment from April 2017 to April 2018. Employment last year was 46,400 but it grew to 50,600 in April of this year.
The increase represented 4,200 more workers. The State also reported an increase of 400 workers or 0.8% from March 2018 to April 2018.
The city of Tulsa saw an employment gain of 7.4% in the oil and gas industry, moving from 28,400 workers in April 2017 to 30,500 in April of this year. It also had a one percent increase or 300 workers from March to April.