Was Oklahoma’s unemployment rate under 3% as of January 2024?
By Sue Bin Park
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NO
Oklahoma’s most recent report from December 2023 placed the state’s unemployment rate at 3.4%.
Gov. Stitt tweeted, “Our unemployment is under 3%” on Jan. 17, 2024, before the December rate was made public. But the November rate was also above 3%.
Unemployment has increased each month since July 2023, when it stood at 2.7%.
The last time Oklahoma’s unemployment rate was reported below 3% was August 2023, when it was 2.8%. It has risen modestly each month since.
Oklahoma is one of 15 states whose unemployment rate increased in December. However, Oklahoma’s rate remains below December’s nationwide average of 3.7%.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Oklahoma Employment Security Commission Current Labor Market Conditions
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics State Employment and Unemployment Summary
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