Carter County’s jobless rate dipped slightly in September from 5.9 percent in August to 5.7 percent, according to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
The state’s unemployment rate also fell slightly from 6.8 percent the month before to 6.7 percent in September.
The national unemployment rate rose from 9.7 percent in August to 9.8 percent in September, the highest rate since June 1983.
Murray County, with a jobless rate of 4.7 percent, had the lowest rate in southern Oklahoma. Beaver County again reported the state’s lowest county rate at 3.3 percent. McCurtain County’s jobless rate in September was 11.6 percent, the state’s highest.
Jefferson County’s unemployment rate fell for the second straight month, dropping from 10.4 percent in July to 8.6 percent in September. The jobless rates in Murray and Love counties rose slightly for the month.
Unemployment rose in 23 states last month as the economy struggled to create jobs. Fifteen states and Washington, D.C., reported unemployment rates of 10 percent or more. Michigan reported the nation’s highest unemployment rate at 15.3 percent. Economists say the jobless rate probably rose to 9.9 percent in October and could go as high as 10.5 percent around the middle of next year before declining gradually. The U.S. Department of Labor is scheduled to release the October jobless numbers next week.
Some economists suggest that many U.S. jobs lost during the recession may be gone forever, and a weak employment market could linger for years.
“This Great Recession is an inflection point for the economy in many respects. I think the unemployment rate will be permanently higher, or at least higher for the foreseeable future,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist and co-founder of Moody’s Economy.com.
Even before the recession, many jobs had vanished or been shipped overseas amid a general decline of U.S. manufacturing. The severest downturn since the Great Depression has accelerated the process. On the bright side, many economists believe the recession reversed course in the recently ended third quarter, and they predict modest growth in the nation’s gross domestic product over the next few years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
