The first jobs report under the new Trump administration showed a stable job market, with the unemployment rate ticking down from 4.1% to 4% in January, the lowest since last May, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released Feb. 7.
The report marks 49 consecutive months of overall job growth, the second-longest recorded period since 1939.
Job losses that did occur were concentrated in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries, which declined by 8,000 jobs over the month. There was little change in employment in other major industries.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates Oklahoma, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 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.
Key takeaways: Jobs report reveals cooling labor market
January's job growth of 143,000 fell short of expectations, while the downward revision of 589,000 fewer jobs in 2024 suggests the labor market was weaker last year than initially thought.
Business leaders are starting to display more caution, with 67% of executives reporting higher stress levels heading into 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 executives by Sentry, a business insurance company. Among survey respondents, 47% citing economic uncertainty as their biggest concern.
"We have what I would describe as a robust but frozen labor market," Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told The New York Times, noting that while unemployment remains low, there's very little churn or employee turnover as "businesses are being cautious as to how they manage their work force."
Moody's Analytics projects monthly payroll gains could slow to around 100,000 by year-end.
The big story: Potential for economic headwinds grows
Behind the "Now Hiring" signs and modest unemployment rate, there's growing concern on Main Street that the economy might be more fragile than it appears.
"You've already got companies hiring as if they're in a recession—even if they're not laying people off," Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNN. Average unemployment duration, a lagging indicator, rose from 20.8 weeks in January 2024 to 22 in January of this year.
Tightening trade regulations and federal trimming could also have an impact on the job market. Experts predict the U.S. gross domestic product could take a hit due to increased tariffs. The U.S. government is the country's largest employer and contributes 36% to the GDP.
Sudden cuts to federal spending advocated by the new administration could hit the economy hard. One example of the potential fallout is that if prices were to increase further due to higher tariffs, consumer purchasing power would decline, stymieing economic growth.
Whether the effects of slashing the workforce and the budget will be exceeded by Trump's plans to loosen business regulations and cut taxes remains to be seen.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Oklahoma.
50. Rogers County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 48,621 people (1,302 unemployed)
46. Nowata County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,497 people (126 unemployed)
46. Kiowa County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,691 people (104 unemployed)
46. Woodward County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,484 people (238 unemployed)
46. Mayes County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,336 people (592 unemployed)
42. Wagoner County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 41,783 people (1,192 unemployed)
42. Tulsa County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 347,981 people (10,058 unemployed)
42. Garfield County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,532 people (778 unemployed)
42. Payne County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 41,060 people (1,189 unemployed)
38. Oklahoma County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 425,091 people (12,587 unemployed)
38. Logan County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,004 people (750 unemployed)
38. Lincoln County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,227 people (522 unemployed)
38. Ottawa County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,389 people (469 unemployed)
34. Marshall County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,008 people (251 unemployed)
34. Pottawatomie County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 34,416 people (1,077 unemployed)
34. Craig County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,824 people (179 unemployed)
34. Pawnee County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,797 people (239 unemployed)
32. Caddo County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,948 people (382 unemployed)
32. Creek County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,450 people (1,072 unemployed)
27. Atoka County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,294 people (173 unemployed)
27. Stephens County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,467 people (651 unemployed)
27. Delaware County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,839 people (648 unemployed)
27. Murray County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,711 people (191 unemployed)
27. Osage County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,896 people (724 unemployed)
21. Sequoyah County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,376 people (591 unemployed)
21. Cherokee County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,007 people (747 unemployed)
21. Kay County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,153 people (615 unemployed)
21. Love County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,439 people (220 unemployed)
21. Washington County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,623 people (766 unemployed)
21. Comanche County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 48,636 people (1,645 unemployed)
16. Choctaw County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,105 people (250 unemployed)
16. Tillman County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,976 people (103 unemployed)
16. Le Flore County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,211 people (706 unemployed)
16. Coal County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,522 people (88 unemployed)
16. Greer County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,919 people (68 unemployed)
15. Okfuskee County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,777 people (171 unemployed)
14. Hughes County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,311 people (197 unemployed)
9. Carter County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,329 people (848 unemployed)
9. Adair County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,927 people (339 unemployed)
9. Jefferson County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,486 people (94 unemployed)
9. Johnston County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,300 people (165 unemployed)
9. Okmulgee County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,585 people (631 unemployed)
8. McCurtain County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,707 people (619 unemployed)
7. Muskogee County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,598 people (1,104 unemployed)
6. Pittsburg County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,224 people (678 unemployed)
5. Seminole County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,528 people (412 unemployed)
4. McIntosh County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,463 people (335 unemployed)
2. Pushmataha County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,888 people (241 unemployed)
2. Haskell County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,105 people (201 unemployed)
1. Latimer County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,517 people (176 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
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