City and Business Leaders Say State Job Stats for Tulsa Incorrect

What exactly is the job situation in Tulsa? <br> <br>That's a question that business leaders are trying to answer after a discrepancy in state job statistics.<br> <br>Employment opportunities

Thursday, March 23rd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

What exactly is the job situation in Tulsa?

That's a question that business leaders are trying to answer after a discrepancy in state job statistics.

Employment opportunities are continually posted by the dozens. But that doesn't tell the whole story on how the Tulsa job market stacks up. Tulsa business leaders are wondering just how it is calculated.
"On one hand, you're told there are 14,000 jobs created in the region and at one point it's reduced to 2400," said Tulsa mayor Susan Savage. "That suggests a problem in the data."

Savage was referring to numbers from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
Months ago, they gave Tulsa a boost in job creation, but deflated that number this month on jobs created in Tulsa last year.

According to the numbers, Tulsa's job market isn't looking too good, but the business community tells a different story. "I don't really want to have an argument too much over numbers," Savage explained. "The important fact is that this economy is very strong. The unemployment rate is low and there is a need for trained workers."

Gene Callahan, superintendent of the Tulsa Technology Center, agrees with the mayor. He says the number of jobs created isn't the problem. "We have a shortage of skilled labor not only in Tulsa, but in Oklahoma," he said.

Business leaders on the Workforce Investment Board are working on the problem to push job training in the community. Automobile dealership owner Henry Primeux is the chairman of the new board. "I'd hire ten people tomorrow if I could," Primeux said. "We have a shortage of workers in Tulsa with the economy booming as it is."

Tulsa employers such as Bama Foods are joining the push. "Just being in the industries talking to other companies and their human resources departments, potential employees can pick and choose where they work," said Bama Pie's Pam Winterscheidt. "And they're going to go to companies with best benefits."

Tulsa companies say they don't see a job slump no matter what the numbers say. The City of Tulsa says they have not received an adequate explanation for such a large change by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. The commission says it routinely revises numbers, as more information becomes available.