Unemployment rates were higher in October in most counties across Oklahoma. Okmulgee County followed the statewide trend of an increasing jobless rate in the latest figures announced by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

Okmulgee County’s unemployment rate is 4.9 percent for October. That figure is an increase from September’s rate of 4.3 percent and the 4.2 percent from October 2018.

Okmulgee County has a labor force of 15,964 people, including 15,177 employed and 787 actively seeking work.

The local rate of 4.9 percent is 69th highest out of Oklahoma’s 77 counties.

In October, Latimer County posted the state’s highest county unemployment rate of 7.3 percent.

Haskell County came in second and McIntosh County took third place with 5.8 percent.

Beaver and Cimarron counties shared the lowest county unemployment rate of 1.6 percent in October.

Rates during the month were higher than a year earlier in 57 counties, lower in 14 counties and unchanged in six other counties.