According to the FRED Economic Data in 2023, Payne County had an average unemployment rate of 3%. The civilian labor force in Payne County grew from 39,340 in 2022 to 40,757 in 2023. EMPLOYMENT
Labor Force
Employment
Unemployment
Unemployment Rate
40,757
39,533
1,224
3.0%
Fig. 3, Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (employed persons); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (unemployment rate)
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the labor participation rate of Payne County at 56.8% which is lower than the state average of 60.5%, but this is based on 2018-2022 data. As of March 2024, Oklahoma’s labor force participation rate increased to 63.4% and Payne County likely followed a similar trend, however county-level data for this time period was not available at the time of this report. The employed population appears to be growing at a rate (3.4 %) higher than the overall population growth rate (0.8%) from 2022- 2023 according to the Federal Reserve Economic Data. While these may be indicators of a thriving workforce, there are still many in the area who struggle despite being employed.
The top employment sectors in Payne County are Educational Services (9,324), Health care and social assistance (4,093), Accommodation and food services (4,075), Retail Trade (3,752) and Manufacturing (2,351).
Top Employment Sectors
9,324
9,324
Educational Services
4,093
4,093
Healthcare & Social Assistance
4,075
4,075
Accommodation & Food Service
3,752
Retail Trade
3,752
Manufacturing
2,351
2,351 0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
Fig. 4, Source: Greater Oklahoma City
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