Oklahoma City, Tulsa show employment losses, report says

Enid had more nonfarm employees on payrolls in January 2017 than it did in the same month in 2016.

According to non-adjusted numbers released March 17, the area posted a net gain of about 100 jobs, while other metropolitan areas of the state, most notably Oklahoma City and Tulsa, experienced declines numbering in the thousands.

The jobs data was released as part of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for January.

It said the number of employed nonfarm workers in Enid was 27,300 in January 2016, and 27,400 in January 2017.

Lawton, meanwhile, lost about 200 jobs, year over year.

A potential explanation of Enid’s strength in January’s job numbers could be renewed oil and gas activity in Oklahoma’s STACK play in northwest Oklahoma.

Friday’s report from Baker Hughes notes Oklahoma added more rigs the past week to continue its growth streak, of late. Since January’s start, oil and gas operators working in the state have added 25 rigs to their working number.

Nationally, non-adjusted, nonfarm employment increased in nearly all of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more.

Oklahoma City, on the other hand, posted the largest overthe-year percentage decrease in employment for those metropolitan areas, losing 3,700 jobs, or .6-percent of its employed workers, the news release reported.

Tulsa’s number of nonfarm employees was 442,400 in January 2016, and 439,500 in January 2017, down 2,900 jobs.

Still, according to data also released March 17 by the

Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, non-seasonally adjusted unemployment percentages in January 2017 were better than they were in January 2016 in 62 of the state’s 77 counties.

In Garfield County, the unemployment percentage in January 2016 was 4.3 percent; in January 2017, it was 4.2 percent.

In Custer County, the unemployment percentage in January 2016 was 4.8 percent; in January 2017, it was 4 percent.

In Oklahoma County, the unemployment percentage was 4.2 percent for January in both years. In Tulsa County, the unemployment percentage was 4.5 percent in January 2016 and 4.6 percent in January 2017.

Counties with the highest unemployment rates in January 2017 were McIntosh County, at 8.8 percent; Latimer County, at 8.5 percent and Stephens County, at 8.3 percent. Their January 2016 unemployment rates were 9.5, 8.6 and 7.7 percent, respectively.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates in January 2017 were Cimarron, at 2 percent; Beaver, at 2.7 percent and Grant, also at 2.7 percent. Their January 2016 unemployment rates were 2.5, 3 and 3.9 percent, respectively.

Statewide, Oklahoma’s preliminary unemployment percentage in January 2017 was 4.7 percent. Its adjusted unemployment percentage in January 2016 was also 4.7 percent.