Jobless rate steady

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Sep 22, 2000

OKLAHOMA CITY (JR) -- Oklahoma's unemployment rate held steady at 2.9 percent in August. The rate was unchanged from July and August 1999, according to preliminary figures from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

Oklahoma's unemployment rate is substantially less than the nation's 4.1 percent unemployment rate.

Payne County, with an unemployment rate of just 1 percent, continued as the county with the lowest unemployment. Choctaw County had the highest unemployment rate at 6.9 percent.

Unemployment in the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area for August was 2.3 percent, down from 2.4 percent a month earlier but up from 2.2 percent for August 1999. August rates for the other three metro areas were Tulsa, 2.7 percent, Lawton, 3 percent and Enid, 2.5 percent.

Total nonfarm employment in Oklahoma gained 3,100 jobs, or 0.2 percent in August. Officials noted that 28,800 jobs were created in the state for the 12 months ending in August.

Despite high oil prices, the oil and gas sector declined by 0.8 percent, or 800 jobs, over the last year, officials said. Some 25,600 Oklahomans now work in the oil and gas industry.

Statewide employment in the construction sector grew 4.9 percent in August from a year earlier with 62,200 persons employed in the industry. In Oklahoma City, which reported a 41 percent drop off in new housing permits in August, the number of people employed in the sector increased but at a less-robust 4.2 percent.

Metro Oklahoma City rebounded from the previous month's deficit by reporting a gain of 3.000 jobs. For the 12 months ending in August, Oklahoma City's employment increased 2.5 percent.

In the Tulsa MSA, the number of jobs slipped by 500 from July, but when comparing August 1999, the area gained 3,000 jobs or 0.8 percent. The Lawton and Enid MSAs both reported increases of 100 jobs over the previous month.