Unemployment Rate Rises As School Year Ends

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma's unemployment rate rose seven-tenths of one percent last month to 4.5%, a significant change that the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission called typical for this

Tuesday, June 19th 2007, 5:35 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma's unemployment rate rose seven-tenths of one percent last month to 4.5%, a significant change that the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission called typical for this time of year as schools let out for the summer.

Of the 1.7 million people in the state's labor force, the commission reported that 77,890 were unemployed in May.

The commission reported a loss of 1,300 jobs in educational and health services, which was the only industry to report a drop in employment.

Seasonal growth in leisure and hospitality provided nearly one-third of the jobs gained between April and May, and the natural resources and mining industry provided more than one out of every four jobs gained in the state in the month, the commission said.