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Unemployment in Oklahoma hits 3.4% - the highest recorded rate this year

A "Now Hiring" sign is displayed on a business window.
Elise Amendola
/
AP
A "Now Hiring" sign is displayed on a business window.

Statewide data from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission in October shows an increase of Oklahomans on the unemployment rolls.

This October’s highrate of 3.4% translates to 63,546 unemployed. This compared to last month’s 3.2% rate or 60,403 unemployed people shows an increase of more than 3,000.

Unemployment was below 3% for the first half of the year, but has crept up since July. The lowest recorded rate was in February, whichsaw a 2.6% rate or 48,947 unemployed.

Meanwhile, national unemployment numbers saw its highest rate this year in January at 4% - or more than 6.5 million people. It decreased and held steady at 3.6 for much of the year and then started seeing increases in August and October. The national rate now remains at 3.7% or just over 6 million people.

Year over year, the unemployment rates in Oklahoma are also closer to the national average in 2022 compared to 2021, separated by only 0.3 percentage points in October compared to last year’s 1.9% difference.

Unemployment rates of U.S. and Oklahoma in 2022.
Kateleigh Mills/OPMX
/
OESC
Unemployment rates of U.S. and Oklahoma in 2022.

This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.

Kateleigh Mills joined KOSU in March 2018, following her undergraduate degree completion from the University of Central Oklahoma in December 2017.
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