After announcing earlier this month the unemployment rate increased to 6.3 percent in May, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reported data for Oklahoma and surrounding states June 30.
Metropolitan Oklahoma City’s 5.7 unemployment rate was nearly a full percentage point lower than Tulsa’s 6.6 percent.
The U.S. unemployment rate is 9.1 percent which represents a 0.4 percent increase from April. A year ago, the U.S. unemployment rate was 5.2 percent.
In the last six months, the Oklahoma unemployment percentage has gone from 4.8 in December, 5.6 percent in January, 5.9 percent in February and 6.1 in March before the 5.9 percent decrease in April and subsequent increase to 6.3 percent in May.
Oklahoma and Louisiana have the region’s lowest unemployment rate at 6.3 percent. New Mexico (6.5); Arkansas, Kansas and Texas (6.9); and Missouri (8.8) all exceeded Oklahoma’s unemployment figure.
Oklahoma City-area counties’ rates:
- Canadian: 5.6
- Cleveland: 5.1
- Logan: 5.6
- McClain: 5.7
- Pottawatomie: 6.5
Four Oklahoma counties have unemployment rates measuring in double digits: Hughes (11.7), Latimer (10.5), LeFlore (10.1) and McCurtain (10). In March, three counties exceeded 10 percent: Noble (12.4), Hughes (11.3) and McCurtain (11.2) but in April only Hughes County remained in double digits at 10.8 percent.
A year ago, the state unemployment rate was 3.6 percent.