Some interesting info regarding Oklahoma

[peanutbrittle]

When I look around and see all the residential building growth I wondered how and why. Here are some answers:

Oklahoma’s Job Growth Faster, Unemployment Lower than Nation’s
For Immediate Release: Apr 05 2006


Oklahoma City, April 5, 2006 -- Oklahoma’s economy added 38,600 jobs over the previous year according to estimates released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Oklahoma also had stronger seasonally adjusted nonfarm job growth – a 2.6 percent increase – than the nation as a whole during the past year.

The state’s yearly job growth rate of 2.6 percent was higher than the total growth for the region comprising Oklahoma and its six adjoining states. The region saw a job growth increase of 2.3 percent and the nation saw a 1.5 percent increase over the previous year.

“Oklahoma's economy continues to benefit from continued growth in employment at a rate that outpaces the nation and region,” said Kathleen Miller, research and economic analysis director for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. “While some industries are gaining employment and others are losing employment, overall our unemployment is the lowest in region. Increasing the number of working age adults in the workforce would fuel further job growth in our state.”

Oklahoma’s labor market continues to tighten with its seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate falling to 3.6 percent in February. Oklahoma’s unemployment rate remains the lowest in the seven state region, and is tied with Alabama’s rate as the 12th lowest in the nation.

Compared to the previous year, Oklahoma’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate has decreased 0.8 percentage points from the 4.4 percent unemployment rate reported in February 2005. Nationally, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 5.4 percent in February 2005 to 4.8 percent in February 2006.

For more information on Oklahoma’s employment growth or unemployment rates, call Kathleen Miller at 405-815-5383 or visit www.OKcommerce.gov/data.

_______________________________________________________________________

Tulsa, Oklahoma City Remain Hot Spots for Expansions and Relocations



Feb. 22, 2006 – For the third year in a row, prominent site selection consultants from across the nation put Tulsa and Oklahoma City among the top 50 cities for expanding or relocating a business.

Eighty site selection consultants participated in the 8th annual survey conducted by Expansion Management magazine. The results, published in its January-February 2006 issue, rank Tulsa #11 and Oklahoma City #23 among “America’s 50 Hottest Cities.”

Expansion Management asked the consultants to list their top city choices for relocating and expanding manufacturing companies, taking into consideration such factors as the business climate, work force quality, operating costs, incentive programs, and the ease of working with local political and economic development officials.

“Some cities are well-prepared to attract and retain businesses,” says Ken Krizner, managing editor of Expansion Management. “They have logistical advantages, a high quality of life, available work force, and a favorable tax and political climate. These 50 Hottest Cities have a built-in advantage when companies look to site a new manufacturing or distribution facility, or headquarters operation.”

Oklahoma’s package of business incentives, which includes Quality Jobs, business incubators, and customized industrial training either free of charge or for nominal fees, consistently impress site location consultants, and, more importantly, their clients.

For example, data collected by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and released in its 2005 New & Expanded Manufacturers report, shows investment announced by new and expanding manufacturers and processors in 2005 totaled more than $403 million. Within the next three years, more than 6,415 new jobs will be created by 26 new and 39 expanding manufacturing companies.

New programs and incentives such as the Oklahoma Site Ready Certification Program, which takes properties through a rigorous qualification and inspection process verified by a third party, should see those numbers and the state’s rankings in surveys like Expansion Management’s “America’s 50 Hottest Cities” rise even higher.

_____________________________

Shhhhh...don't tell anyone else ;)

Lots of info here --------> http://www.okcommerce.gov/index.php

[bobbieinok]

1. not sure this is accurate....Tulsa has lost many jobs, seems to be

really hurting economically......I think that was part of the recent election campaign

in 2002(?) OK voted to become a right-to-work state; proponents claimed this would bring many new jobs to OK......by all accounts, it did not

[RoyGBiv]

2. Service jobs ...

A factory in OKC closes, and Dell opens a call center. This results in a net gain in jobs, net loss in payroll.

A simple example, but that sort of thing is happening all over. Farmer's Insurance, for example, is *hurting* for employees ... for their call center.