Nationally, Oklahoma employment is above average. Unemployment figures across the country range from 4%-15%. Oklahoma falls near the low end of this. Large numbers of jobs are available across the state near the metropolitan areas of Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Lawton and, of course, in outlying areas.
Areas of Oklahoma employment availability encompass a broad range of fields from healthcare to service industries to technical fields and maintenance. In addition, there are a great number of employment services in Oklahoma that cater to technical, professional, clerical, labor, and healthcare occupations to name a few, and they are always needing people.
Oklahoma unemployment
Oklahoma unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) increased from October 2008 to October 2009 by 2.9% to a rate of 7.1%
[Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics]
Oklahoma Employment Opportunities
Sectors having the highest Oklahoma employment availability include healthcare, which has several openings across the state for nurses, therapists, hospice workers, and administrators. There are a large number of jobs in the computer/IT field in Oklahoma City and a fraction of that number in Tulsa. Inside, outside, and retail sales are in demand, as are clerical positions in both areas. Office managers, receptionists, front desk personnel, and general clerks are needed in both areas. In the educational field, a fair number of teaching positions are available in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
There are several positions available for drivers with or without a Commercial Driver’s License. Service occupations, like those for the hotel/motel industry, are in need of people for food service, housekeeping, and front desk clerk positions. There are quite a few executive management positions available in Tulsa and several machinist positions in Tulsa too. In both Tulsa and Oklahoma City, there are several openings for electricians. There are a variety of part time jobs across a broad spectrum of industries in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City with more than twice as many in Oklahoma City than in Tulsa.
Oklahoma Employment Ranking Nationally
According to recent Bureau of Labor statistics, Oklahoma’s unemployment rate is 5.9%. Broken down by major metropolitan area, the figures are: Tulsa (6.6%), Oklahoma City (5.7%), and Lawton (4.9%). Statewide, the largest unemployment figures, broken down by county, range from 7.1%-12.4%. These are predominantly in the eastern half of the state, though some south central counties, like Grady, Stevens, and Jefferson, have unemployment rates ranging from about 7%-8.5%. In the southwestern part of the state, Tillman and Greer hold the leading figures with 7.8% and 8% respectively. With the exception of Woodward county, which has an unemployment rate of 6.2%, the panhandle and northwest part of the state have 2.6%-4.6% unemployment. Central counties and about a dozen eastern (mostly northeastern) counties have unemployment rates of 4.7%-7.0%.
Since the declaration of the recession in December, Oklahoma City has been billed second in economic performance among the top 100 of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas. Tulsa is ninth. The report, from the MetroMonitor provides an analysis of six main indicators– employment, industry employment change, rates of unemployment, gross metropolitan product, wages, housing costs, and foreclosures. Energy and agriculture sectors have helped to keep the state from receding as quickly into the recession as other states.
Oklahoma Employment Resources
The state site, Oklahoma JobLink, is a great resource for Oklahoma employment availability. Job searches can be done by putting in any or all of the following: keyword(s), city, county, radius from an area, occupation, education level, and other criteria. Parameter searches can be saved. Searches can also include other online job sites, so that a collated result of JobLink and sites like SimplyHired, Indeed.com, and NationJob, to name a few, can be included in the results. Additionally, job email alerts can be set. A resume can be placed on there. All Workforce locations can be found on there. Oklahoma JobLink can be found at:
https://servicelink.oesc.state.ok.us/ada/default.cfm?
Oklahoma employment is available through several employment services throughout the state. Some of the ones with strong customer bases, along with their specialties and websites, are:
Lloyd Richards Personnel Service specializes in technical, office, clerical, and industrial positions. They have served Tulsa for over 48 years. They are located on the Web at: http://www.alloydrichards.com/
Alliance Personnel Services has served the Oklahoma City area for over 10 years, and they offer placement for professional, industrial, construction, accounting, production, and general labor positions. They are located on the Web at: http://alliancepersonnelservices.com/
Oklahoma Living Conditions
The cost of living in Oklahoma is more than 20% below the US average. The median cost of a house in Oklahoma is less than $106,000. Property tax rates for Tulsa and Oklahoma City are $10.53 and $8.73 respectively. Property tax is the house value divided by 1000 and multiplied by the tax rate. Sales taxes for Tulsa and Oklahoma City respectively are 8.5% and 8.375%. Housing vacancy for both apartments and houses in Tulsa is 7.59%. It is 8.83% in Oklahoma City. Average monthly apartment rent in Tulsa is $545. House and apartment rental costs range from $350-$850 in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma Climate
Average winter temperatures range from the 30s-50s. Average maximum temperatures in the summer are between the 80s-90s. Annual snowfall is 9.4 inches. Annual rainfall is 33.4-40.6 inches (OKC, Tulsa). Average annual rain days are between 83-91 days (OKC, Tulsa).
Oklahoma Recreation
Recreation includes theme parks, horseback riding, nature centers, botanical gardens, museums, art galleries, orchestras, theaters, opera, airshows, night clubs, concerts, auto racing, hockey, baseball, swimming, golf, softball/baseball, soccer, boating, fishing, water skiing, tennis, and bicycle cabs.
Traffic Laws
Be aware that Highway Patrol tickets are rather high. Many are over $200.
Oklahoma Employment
Overall, the combination of Oklahoma employment, a lower cost of living, recreation, and climate make Oklahoma look like a good deal. They do get ice on the roads in the winter, and one has to be careful of this and overall traffic fines, but land and housing are cheaper, and the unemployment rate is near the low end of the national range. Also, while you are looking for a long-term position, there are plenty of employment services needing people to fill both temporary and permanent positions. These can really be a big help when searching the available Oklahoma employment market.
