The gap is small, but Oklahoma typically has a lower jobless rate than the nation.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s unemployment rate climbed above the national rate in July, an unusual turn for a state that typically records a lower jobless rate than the country as a whole.
Oklahoma’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 4.3%, while the U.S. rate slipped to 4.1%, according to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. The state rate is now a full percentage point higher than it was a year ago.
The difference between Oklahoma and the nation is only two-tenths of a percentage point. But the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City noted earlier this year that Oklahoma’s unemployment rate typically runs one-half to 1 percentage point below the national rate.
Oklahoma has moved above the national rate before. Contemporary federal reports showed the state running higher than the nation in late 2016. Historical comparisons can be tricky because the Bureau of Labor Statistics revises state unemployment estimates annually, meaning figures in today’s historical series do not always match those reported at the time.
The latest report did not identify a reason for the increase. Over the past year, Oklahoma’s labor force — people working or looking for work — has shrunk. The number counted as employed has fallen, while the number unemployed has risen.
