Unemployment up in most Oklahoma counties

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – State employment officials say the unemployment rate increased in most of Oklahoma’s 77 counties last month, but the number of people employed in three major metropolitan areas increased from October to November.

The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission released county and metropolitan area data on Wednesday that shows the unemployment rate increased last month in 43 of the state’s 77 counties.

McIntosh County in eastern Oklahoma had the highest rate at 8.3 percent, while Cimarron County in the Panhandle had the lowest rate at 2 percent. Oklahoma’s overall unemployment rate was 4.2 percent.

The data shows employers in the Oklahoma City area added 2,800 jobs last month, while there were 600 jobs added in Tulsa and about 100 added in the Lawton area.