The latest Oklahoma Employment Security Commission’s (OESC) monthly employment report for March, which contains the preliminary statistics for January 2025, shows that in January Seminole County had the sixth highest rate of unemployment in the state after spending the previous two months in the fifth highest position. This position improved, even though county unemployment rose, due to a changes across the state.

The latest report states that, across the state, unemployment rates in January were lower than a year earlier in 56 counties, higher in 13 counties, and unchanged in 8 counties.

In the report for January, Pushmataha County posted Oklahoma’s highest county unemployment rate of 5.7 percent (a rise from the 5.0 rate Latimer County posted last month). Love County had the second highest rate for the month.

Texas County reported the lowest county unemployment rate of 2.0 percent. This was higher than the low rate of 1.4 percent reported in Dewey County last month.

Before reporting on SEMINOLE COUNTY, it needs to be pointed out that the statistics in this report are an attempt to provide a snapshot of information and statistics that are constantly changing. The OESC report explains that each month, current employment statistics and local area unemployment statistics data is preliminary and data for the previous month is revised in their reports after more information becomes available. Normally, these revised figures are minor, and the revised figures are used without comment.

However, there was a relatively major change in the preliminary figures for December last month, which showed a labor force of 9,528, and the revised figure for December reported this month, which shows a 9,223 labor force. Having commented on this very rare but significant difference, this report will continue using the current statistics.

According to the latest figures from the OESC, the labor force in Seminole County rose from 9,223 in December to 9,302 in January. The number of employed rose from 8,826 in December to 8,846 in January. The number of unemployed rose from 397 to 456.

These changes raised the county’s unemployment rate from 4.3 percent to 4.9 percent. Although higher than last month, this was lower than the 5.4 percent unemployment that was reported for January 2024. Even though Seminole County’s unemployment rose, similar changes across the state caused its ranking among the 77 counties in Oklahoma to drop from 73 to 72, or sixth highest, which is an improvement. The lower this number is, the better. The county with the highest rate of unemployment is 77, the county with the lowest unemployment is 1.

Neighboring HUGHES COUNTY reported unemployment rose from 4.5 percent last month to 5.2 percent in the latest report. Last year their unemployment rate was 5.5 percent. This change caused a huge jump from the 64th position to the 74th in the state.

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY unemployment numbers rose from 3.3 to 3.8 percent. This increase caused them to rise from the 41st spot to the 44th. Their unemployment rate was 4.0 percent last year.

OKFUSKEE COUNTY’S ranking climbed from the 63rd to the 66th position after their unemployment rate rose from 3.9 to 4.4 percent. Okfuskee County reported a 4.9 percent unemployment rate last year.

PONTOTOC COUNTY, which usually has one of the lower rankings in the surrounding area, saw unemployment rise from 2.6 to 3.1 percent. Their unemployment rate was 3.5 percent last year. This rise changed Pontotoc County’s state ranking from 16th to 18th.