The latest Oklahoma Employment Security Commission’s (OESC) monthly employment report, which contains the preliminary statistics for June 2025, shows that in June Seminole County was tied with Hughes and McIntosh for the second highest rate of unemployment, 5.2 percent, in the state.

The latest report states that, across the state, unemployment rates in June were lower than a year earlier in 61 counties, higher in 12 counties, and unchanged in 4 counties.

In the report for June, Love County held the highest unemployment rate for the third month in a row, rising a full percentage point from 4.5 to 5.5 percent unemployment.

Texas County once again reported the lowest county unemployment rate in the state, a position it has also held since the first of the year, joined by Dewey and Harmon Counties with an unemployment rate of 2.2 percent, up from 1.7 percent last month.

According to the latest figures from the OESC, the labor force in SEMINOLE COUNTY dropped from 9,266 in May to 9,186 in June. The number of employed dropped from 8,873 in May to 8,711 in June. The number of unemployed rose from 393 to 475.

These changes raised the county’s unemployment rate from 4.2 percent to 5.2 percent. This month’s rate was lower than the 6.0 percent unemployment that was reported for June 2024. Because Seminole County’s unemployment was the fifth highest last month, it was placed in the 4th highest slot, 74, even though it was tied for second highest. 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 also rose from 4.2 to 5.2 percent in the latest report. Last year their unemployment rate was 5.7 percent. This change tied Hughes County with Seminole County in the second highest rate of unemployment in the state.

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY unemployment numbers rose from 3.3 to 3.7 percent. Even though their unemployment rose, Pottawatomie County moved them from the 51st spot to the 48th due to negative changes across the state. Their unemployment rate was 3.9 percent last year.

OKFUSKEE COUNTY’S ranking moved from the 63rd to the 60th position even though their unemployment rate rose from 3.5 to 4.2 percent. Okfuskee County reported a 4.7 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 3.3 percent last year. This rise in unemployment moved Pontotoc County’s state ranking to rise from 18th to 22nd.

It should be noted 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 local area unemployment statistics date is preliminary and data for the previous month is revised in their reports. For example, last month the preliminary data for May reported a Seminole County labor force of 9,276, which was updated to 9,266 this month. When this happens, this report will use the revised figure. If the change is significant, the revision will be commented on in the story.