August jobless rates fell from July in every county, but annual increases remained widespread.
OKLAHOMA CITY — County unemployment rates fell throughout Oklahoma in August, but most remained higher than a year earlier, according to figures released Wednesday by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
The report showed annual increases in 72 of the state’s 77 counties. Rates declined from August 2025 in three counties and were unchanged in two.
All 77 counties recorded lower unemployment rates than in July. Those figures are not seasonally adjusted, meaning they do not account for recurring seasonal changes in employment.
The annual increases continue a pattern documented in earlier reports. OK Politics Today reported in July that all 77 counties had higher unemployment rates in June than a year earlier.
Statewide rate remains above last year
The county figures follow the commission’s earlier statewide report, which showed Oklahoma’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate holding at 4.3% in August, unchanged from July. The national rate was 4.1%.
Oklahoma’s statewide rate was up from 3.4% in August 2025. The statewide figure accounts for recurring seasonal changes in employment; the county figures do not.
As OK Politics Today reported Sept. 20, more than 85,000 Oklahomans were unemployed in August, almost 16,000 more than a year earlier.
County rates vary widely
Hughes and Love counties shared the highest unemployment rate in August at 6.4%, followed by Carter County at 6.0%. Dewey County had the lowest rate at 2.1%, followed by Texas County at 2.4% and Harper County at 2.6%.
Oklahoma County’s rate fell to 4.1% from 4.4% in July but remained above its August 2025 rate of 3.5%. Tulsa County followed a similar pattern, declining to 4.2% from 4.5% in July while remaining above 3.5% a year earlier.
Cleveland County’s rate was 3.7%, compared with 3.2% a year earlier. Canadian County was at 3.6%, up from 3.0%.
The Oklahoma City metropolitan area had an unemployment rate of 3.9%, while Tulsa’s was 4.1% and Lawton’s was 4.6%. Each was lower than in July but higher than in August 2025.
Cimarron, Coal and Pushmataha were the only counties with lower rates than a year earlier. Jefferson and Washita counties were unchanged.
The August county estimates are preliminary and subject to revision.
