State unemployment creeps above national average after summer of economic turmoil - The Oklahoman

Earlier this spring, the poorest 80% of Oklahomans were feeling the greatest pinch of inflation, all while employment numbers remained unchanged. Now for the first time since the pandemic, economic experts say the state's unemployment rate is beginning to creep above the national average. Cortney Cowley, assistant vice president for the Kansas City Federal Reserve, said that in the years following the pandemic, Oklahoma's unemployment rate consistently remained below the national average. In 2020, the nation saw an unemployment rate of 14.8%, which has steadily decreased. By August 2026, the national unemployment rate stood at 4.1%. However, Oklahoma is one of 20 states with a rate of unemployment above that average , at 4.3% in August 2026.