Oklahoma Unemployment Hits 5.6%

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma's unemployment rate rose to 5.6 percent in January, a strong increase from a year ago but still well below the national rate.

Read the OESC release.

State economist Lynn Gray says Oklahoma is feeling the effects of the national economic downturn and more than 7,000 people joined the jobless ranks in the state between December and January.

Read Lynn Gray's report.

Some states, including California and Michigan, have unemployment rates that have edged up into the double digits. The national rate is expected to exceed 10 percent by year's end.

Oklahoma's rate in January of this year was 1.8 percent higher than the rate reported for January 2008.

January 2009 saw 97,060 people unemployed, compared to 65,820 unemployment in January 2008.

Job losses were highest in the manufacturing sector.