New figures released by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission and the U.S. Department of Labor show Oklahoma’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 6.6% in June, a significant decrease from 12.6% in May. Oklahoma is tied with Maine for the fifth lowest rate in the country, a ranking which is reflected on the newly-launched Governor’s Dashboard of Metrics. The national unemployment rate for June declined to 11.1%.

“These figures confirm that Oklahoma is leading the way in our recovery from COVID-19,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “Innovative programs like the Oklahoma Business Relief Program, the Oklahoma Manufacturing Reboot Program and others have allowed us to leverage federal CARES Act funds to support our businesses and get their employees back to work so they can support their families.”

In June, statewide seasonally adjusted employment increased by 56,409 persons (3.5%), while unemployment decreased by 113,643 persons (-49.4%) from the previous month.

Oklahoma currently has the lowest unemployment rate in comparison to surrounding states, including Texas, Arkansas and Kansas.