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February 8, 2012

Holding steady a positive for county unemployment

Derrick Miller The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — A lack of change can be a positive, especially when it involves unemployment rates that were already solid.

The December 2011 unemployment numbers were released this week, and the numbers for Stephens County reflect no significant change. The unemployment rate for the county was 5.1 percent, which is the same as in November 2011.

The labor force, which is comprised of 22,248 people, had 21,111 people employed and 1,137 unemployed.

Lyle Roggow, Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation director, said there was a slight difference in unemployment in Stephens County from November 2011 to December 2011, but the numbers didn’t greatly impact the overall unemployment number.

“We’re still holding pretty steady, which is good for the economy,” Roggow said.

With the unemployment rate holding steady around 5.1 percent, Roggow felt Stephens County may experience people moving into the area to take advantage of the low rate and good job possibilities.

“It gives us opportunities to attract new employees to the area,” Roggow said.

Most of the county’s neighbors are also experiencing a similar trend by staying within 0.5 percent of Stephens County’s unemployment rate.

The only two counties that are more than 1 percent higher in unemployment are Comanche and Jefferson counties. In December 2011, Jefferson County had a rate of 6.3 percent, while Comanche County’s rate increased to 7 percent. In November 2011, Comanche County’s unemployment rate was 6.6 percent.

“We have to be able to look to see how we can get some of those people from over there,” Roggow said.

He said most employment indicators throughout Oklahoma are moving in a positive direction. The process of decreasing the unemployment rate is moving a slow rate, but it is heading in a positive direction.

DAEDF’s mission is to continue to bring in businesses and companies, while striving to decrease the unemployment rate. He said there’s a lot involved in these tasks. Fostering the growth and work skills in the younger generations is one way to continue to improve in the county and the state.

“Oklahoma, as a whole, is doing well compared to what’s going on across the country,” said Roggow, who has a positive outlook for the coming months.

“I think we’ll continue to see additional pressure for manufacturers to get things out,” he said. “I think we’ll get back to where we were in 2007 and 2008, when (unemployment rates) were below 5 percent, even below 4 percent.”

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