OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma employment officials say the state's unemployment rate increased slightly last month, but still trails the national average by nearly 2 percentage points.
The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reported Friday that Oklahoma's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 5.4 percent to 5.5 percent in October. The national unemployment rate last month was 7.3 percent.
The largest monthly growth came in the areas of construction, with 2,100 jobs gained, and the professional and business services sector, which added 1,500 jobs. The leisure and hospitality sector saw the most declines, with 1,300 reported jobs lost.
Oklahoma's unemployment rate has been steadily climbing over the last several months, from 5.1 percent in May.