After announcing earlier this month the unemployment rate decreased to 5.9 percent in April, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reported data for Oklahoma and surrounding states June 3.

The U.S. unemployment rate is 8.6 percent which represents a 0.4 percent decrease from March.

A year ago, the U.S. unemployment rate was 4.8 percent.

In the last six months, the Oklahoma unemployment percentage has gone from 4.5 percent in November, 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.

Louisiana and New Mexico have the region's lowest unemployment rate at 5.7 percent. Kansas (6.1), Texas and Arkansas (6.4) and Missouri (7.7) all exceeded Oklahoma's unemployment figure.

Metropolitan Oklahoma City's 5.6 unemployment decreased by 0.3 percent to 5.4 percent while Tulsa's rate measured 6.1 percent.

Oklahoma City-area counties' rates:

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 2.9 percent.