Counties with the highest unemployment in Oklahoma
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Oklahoma using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Oklahoma.
#50. Ottawa County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,255 people (572 unemployed)
#49. Pontotoc County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,252 people (748 unemployed)
#48. Logan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,997 people (937 unemployed)
#47. Rogers County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 48,427 people (1,769 unemployed)
#46. Oklahoma County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 427,896 people (15,963 unemployed)
#45. Washita County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,248 people (201 unemployed)
#44. Mayes County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,723 people (792 unemployed)
#43. Lincoln County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,271 people (676 unemployed)
#42. Payne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 41,805 people (1,640 unemployed)
#41. Cotton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,728 people (109 unemployed)
#40. Marshall County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,949 people (318 unemployed)
#39. Caddo County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,999 people (475 unemployed)
#38. Wagoner County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 41,775 people (1,659 unemployed)
#37. Tulsa County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 348,716 people (13,962 unemployed)
#36. Washington County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,592 people (970 unemployed)
#35. Pottawatomie County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 34,708 people (1,438 unemployed)
#34. Craig County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,770 people (243 unemployed)
#33. Stephens County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,379 people (849 unemployed)
#32. Murray County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,894 people (256 unemployed)
#31. Pawnee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,776 people (338 unemployed)
#30. Cherokee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,371 people (929 unemployed)
#29. Garfield County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,771 people (1,139 unemployed)
#28. Creek County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,461 people (1,439 unemployed)
#27. Comanche County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 49,305 people (2,168 unemployed)
#26. Coal County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,399 people (107 unemployed)
#25. Jefferson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,515 people (112 unemployed)
#24. Choctaw County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 6,877 people (308 unemployed)
#23. Osage County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,782 people (987 unemployed)
#22. Tillman County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,828 people (130 unemployed)
#21. Kiowa County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,676 people (169 unemployed)
#20. McCurtain County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,412 people (747 unemployed)
#19. Sequoyah County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,543 people (801 unemployed)
#18. Carter County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,421 people (1,027 unemployed)
#17. Greer County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,839 people (86 unemployed)
#16. Kay County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,312 people (860 unemployed)
#15. Delaware County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,082 people (944 unemployed)
#14. Atoka County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,294 people (252 unemployed)
#13. Adair County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,705 people (416 unemployed)
#12. Muskogee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,037 people (1,392 unemployed)
#11. Okfuskee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,723 people (231 unemployed)
#10. Hughes County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,318 people (259 unemployed)
#9. Le Flore County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,399 people (990 unemployed)
#8. Johnston County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,269 people (213 unemployed)
#7. Okmulgee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,519 people (837 unemployed)
#6. Pushmataha County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,673 people (244 unemployed)
#5. Pittsburg County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,882 people (941 unemployed)
#4. Latimer County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,916 people (231 unemployed)
#3. Haskell County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,581 people (276 unemployed)
#2. Seminole County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,949 people (603 unemployed)
#1. McIntosh County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,611 people (507 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
