Unemployment rate improves across much of Oklahoma

Jobless rates showed improvement in three of Oklahoma’s four metro areas in March, according to preliminary data released Wednesday by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

Improvement occurred in the Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Enid metro locations, while Lawton’s metro numbers remained unchanged from February to March.

Oklahoma City’s March jobless rate of 3.5 percent is a slight improvement from February’s 3.7 percent. In March 2017, Oklahoma City registered an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent.

Tulsa came in at 3.9 percent in March, compared to 4.1 percent in February. March 2017 unemployment in Tulsa was 4.5 percent.

Enid’s preliminary rate is 3.6 percent for March, an improvement from the 3.7percent rate in February. A year ago, Enid’s unemployment was 4.1percent.

Lawton posted the highest metro unemployment rate in Oklahoma in March at 4.2 percent, which was unchanged from its rate in February. However, Lawton did improve upon its March 2017 rate of 4.3 percent.

Across the state, McIntosh County posted Oklahoma’s highest county unemployment rate of 6.7 percent. Blaine County had the lowest at 2.1 percent.

Seventy-four of Oklahoma’s 77 counties show lower unemployment rates in March 2018 compared to March 2017.