COPY-Oklahoma's jobless rate continues climb

Associated Press - August 22, 2009 5:15 PM ET

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State officials report Oklahoma's jobless rate is continuing to rise, reaching its highest level in 15 years.

The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reported Friday the state's unemployment rate climbed in July to 6.5% from 6.4% the previous month.

Compared with July 2008, Oklahoma's seasonally adjusted rate grew by 2.6%age points.

Although seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment grew by 6,400 jobs last month, the state has lost 33,700 jobs since July last year.

Statewide, the leisure and hospitality sector lost 1,000 jobs in July, the largest monthly drop. But several sectors posted job growth, including 3,200 jobs in professional and business services, 1,500 in local government and 1,000 in mining and logging.

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