Oklahoma City, OK – Unemployment rates increased across Oklahoma in June, and western Oklahoma counties were no exception, according to the latest county employment report from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent in June, up from 4.1 percent in May. More notably, every one of Oklahoma's 77 counties posted a higher unemployment rate than it did one year ago, signaling a broad but gradual cooling of the labor market.

Among the western Oklahoma counties highlighted in the report:

• Beckham County: 4.2%

• Greer County: 4.4%

• Washita County: 3.6%

• Roger Mills County: 3.6%

All four counties remained below the state's highest unemployment levels, which were reported in Hughes County (7.1%), Love County (6.9%), and Seminole County (6.5%). Meanwhile, nearby Dewey County posted one of the lowest unemployment rates in Oklahoma at just 2.8 percent.

Despite unemployment increasing statewide compared to June 2025, most counties remained below the 5 percent mark. The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission said the data suggests the labor market has softened over the past year, but not because of widespread job losses.

Employment trends also varied across the state's largest metropolitan areas. The Oklahoma City metro added an estimated 1,100 nonfarm jobs over the past year, led by growth in education, health services, and construction. In contrast, the Tulsa metro lost an estimated 900 jobs as declines in manufacturing and leisure and hospitality offset gains in construction.

The monthly county employment report provides labor force, employment, and unemployment estimates for each of Oklahoma's 77 counties and supplements the commission's statewide employment report.

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