Oklahoma Q1, 2019 Employment Statistics- 111,322 employers, up 1.1% from 110,090
- 1,609,257 employees, up 1.3% from 1,588,236
- $953 average weekly wage, up 4.3% from $914
- The average weekly wage is 19.5% below the national average
- The cost of living is 11.9% below the national average
Employer & Employee Growth
In the last year, the number of employers in the state increased by 1,232, which is an increase of 1.1%. The number of employees in Oklahoma increased by 21,020, an increase of 1.3%. During this same period, the average weekly wage increased by $39, an increase of 4.3%.
The number of private employers increased since last years' Q1. The number of private businesses increased by 1,127 or 1.1%. Growth in private businesses in Oklahoma grew slower than the national average of 3.0%. The number of employees in these businesses increased since last years' Q1, increasing by 16,603 or 1.3%. The growth in employees of private businesses in Oklahoma was slower than the national average of 1.7%.
The average weekly wage of employees of private businesses increased since last years' Q1. The averge weekly wage increased by $38 or 4.1%. Growth in average weekly wage of employees of private businesses in Oklahoma grew faster than the national average of 3.0%.
Leading Sectors
Businesses by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of businesses in the state is Retail trade with 11.8% of the businesses in the state. The number of businesses in this sector increased by 0.3%. Professional services (11.6%), which increased by 3.9% and Healthcare (11.4%), which increased by 0.5%, round out the 3 largest sectors.
Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Business Change %
| Sector | Change Biz | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Information | 70 | 4.8% |
| Professional services | 485 | 3.9% |
| Educational services | 31 | 3.4% |
| Arts and entertainment | 34 | 3.1% |
| Real estate and rental | 125 | 3.0% |
| Transport and warehousing | 82 | 2.8% |
| Mining and oil extraction | 76 | 2.2% |
| Company management | 11 | 1.8% |
| Agriculture and forestry | 16 | 1.8% |
| Utilities | 8 | 1.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 116 | 1.6% |
| Manufacturing | 64 | 1.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 88 | 1.1% |
| Healthcare | 57 | 0.5% |
| Retail trade | 37 | 0.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 21 | 0.3% |
| Construction | -61 | -0.6% |
| Other services | -55 | -0.8% |
| Waste services | -78 | -1.0% |
Employees by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of employees in the state is Healthcare with 12.1% of the employees in the state, had an increase in employees of 0.6% in the last year. Retail trade (10.8%), decreased by 1.3% and Accommodation and food services (9.5%), increased by 1.4%, round out the top 3 sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Employee Change %
| Sector | Employee Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Transport and warehousing | 2,940 | 6.0% |
| Construction | 3,897 | 5.1% |
| Arts and entertainment | 735 | 4.7% |
| Company management | 841 | 4.4% |
| Manufacturing | 5,289 | 3.9% |
| Professional services | 2,605 | 3.6% |
| Real estate and rental | 507 | 2.5% |
| Utilities | 170 | 1.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,061 | 1.4% |
| Mining and oil extraction | 639 | 1.3% |
| Other services | 378 | 1.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 602 | 1.0% |
| Educational services | 104 | 0.6% |
| Healthcare | 1,086 | 0.6% |
| Waste services | 326 | 0.3% |
| Finance and insurance | -204 | -0.4% |
| Retail trade | -2,378 | -1.3% |
| Information | -325 | -1.6% |
| Agriculture and forestry | -2,668 | -24.6% |
Average Weekly Wage by Sector
The sector that pays their employees the highest is Utilities paying $3,458per week compared with the state average of $969. Weekly wages in this sector rose by $921 or 36.3%. Company management ($2,471), rose by $653 or 35.9% and Mining and oil extraction ($2,333) declined by $173 or 6.9% round out the 3 largest sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Weekly Wage Change %
| Sector | Wage Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | $921 | 36.3% |
| Company management | $653 | 35.9% |
| Information | $113 | 9.7% |
| Arts and entertainment | $41 | 7.1% |
| Professional services | $76 | 6.2% |
| Other services | $28 | 4.3% |
| Educational services | $30 | 4.1% |
| Real estate and rental | $32 | 3.9% |
| Waste services | $24 | 3.4% |
| Finance and insurance | $44 | 3.3% |
| Construction | $32 | 3.3% |
| Wholesale trade | $38 | 3.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | $8 | 2.6% |
| Manufacturing | $29 | 2.5% |
| Retail trade | $13 | 2.4% |
| Healthcare | $16 | 1.9% |
| Transport and warehousing | $10 | 0.9% |
| Mining and oil extraction | $-173 | -6.9% |
| Agriculture and forestry | $-62 | -8.2% |
Leading Industries
Businesses by Industry
Each broad sector is made up of specific industries. In Oklahoma. the industry with the most businesses is Restaurants and other eating places with 5.7% of the businesses in the state (with 6,330 employing 128,562 workers). The Restaurants and other eating places industry had 65 more businesses, an increase of 1.0% in the last year. Offices of physicians (2.3% of businesses) had 10 fewer businesses, a decline of 0.4% and Offices of lawyers (2.2% of businesses) had 27 fewer businesses, a decline of 1.1% round out the 3 industries with the most businesses.Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change %
| Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Paint and wallpaper stores | 16 | 177.8% |
| Forging and stamping | 4 | 57.1% |
| Testing laboratories | 49 | 57.0% |
| Adhesive manufacturing | 2 | 50.0% |
| Other credit intermediation activities | 61 | 42.7% |
| Translation and interpretation services | 5 | 35.7% |
| Packaged frozen food merchant wholesalers | 4 | 33.3% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change #
| Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Computer systems design and related services | 137 | 7.4% |
| All other miscellaneous store retailers | 131 | 21.4% |
| Management consulting services | 117 | 6.2% |
| Services for the elderly and disabled | 99 | 6.1% |
| Support activities for mining | 74 | 3.5% |
| Offices of real estate agents and brokers | 72 | 6.2% |
| Geophysical surveying and mapping services | 66 | 14.6% |
Employees by Industry
Offices of physicians (2.3% of employees) had 10 fewer employees, a decline of 0.4% and Offices of lawyers (2.2% ofemployees) had 27 fewer employees, a decline of 1.1% round out the 3 industries with the most employees.Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change %
| Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Other publishers | 273 | 572.2% |
| Direct mail advertising | 532 | 557.9% |
| Translation and interpretation services | 74 | 268.9% |
| Paint and wallpaper stores | 93 | 212.3% |
| Tortilla manufacturing | 29 | 114.6% |
| Resin and synthetic rubber manufacturing | 131 | 79.4% |
| Marketing research and public opinion polling | 70 | 60.2% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change #
| Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Support activities for mining | 2,555 | 8.4% |
| Animal slaughtering and processing | 2,385 | 28.6% |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 1,716 | 1.4% |
| Temporary help services | 1,159 | 5.2% |
| General warehousing and storage | 996 | 8.7% |
| Commercial building construction | 920 | 12.1% |
| Electrical and wiring contractors | 881 | 8.1% |
Average Weekly Wage by Industry
Offices of physicians ($2) and Offices of lawyers ($2) round out the top 3 industries. Employees in the Offices of physicians ($2 per week) were paid $10 less per week, a decline of 0.4% and Offices of lawyers ($2 per week) were paid $27 less per week, a decline of 1.1% round out the 3 industries that pay their employees the most.Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change %
| Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Plywood and engineered wood product mfg. | $548 | 78.4% |
| Business and secretarial schools | $353 | 63.9% |
| Natural gas distribution | $1,914 | 51.2% |
| All other information services | $410 | 47.8% |
| Luggage and leather goods stores | $156 | 46.8% |
| Sporting goods merchant wholesalers | $448 | 40.9% |
| Adhesive manufacturing | $386 | 38.9% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change $
| Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas distribution | $1,914 | 51.2% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | $653 | 35.9% |
| Natural gas extraction | $600 | 16.3% |
| Electric power generation | $563 | 25.1% |
| Plywood and engineered wood product mfg. | $548 | 78.4% |
| Sporting goods merchant wholesalers | $448 | 40.9% |
| All other information services | $410 | 47.8% |
Company Size
Oklahoma Businesses by Size
The solopreneur company, has the most businesses in Oklahoma by far. 59.3% of all businesses in the state have fewer than 5 employees. The 101,002 small businesses in the state represent 95.7% of all private businesses. The national average is 92.9%. (Small businesses have fewer than 50 employees, Solopreneurs employ fewer than 5.) Oklahoma added 1,127 businesses in the last year, an increase of 1.1% as compared to the national average of 3.0%.Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 1,014 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 1.0% as compared to the national average of 3.1%.
Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. These mid-sized businesses added 101 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 2.4% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. These large businesses added 12 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 9.5% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Oklahoma Employees by Business Size
Oklahoma added 49,810 employees in the last year, an increase of 4.1% as compared to the national average of 5.2%. Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 7,735 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 8.3% as compared to the national average of 4.2%.Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. Mid-sized businesses added 15,625 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 3.2% as compared to the national average of 4.7%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. Large businesses added 26,450 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 21.5% as compared to the national average of 9.2%.
Oklahoma Avg Weekly Wages by Business Size
Oklahoma workers in every size business are paid less than the national average. The smallest companies in Oklahoma (those with fewer than 5 employees) pay workers 12.4% less than the national average ($894 per week as compared to the national average of $1,005 per week). The largest companies in Oklahoma (those with more than 1,000 employees) pay 14.1% workers below the national average ($1,676 per week as compared to the national average of $1,913 per week).Average weekly wages in small businesses added $94 per week in the last year, which is an increase of 3.0% as compared to the national average of 3.1%. Employees of mid-sized businesses added $119 in wages per week in the last year, which is an increase of 4.0% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Employees of large businesses added $213 of weekly wages in the last year, which is an increase of 7.5% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Data Sources
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