New job numbers were released this week for Oklahoma and Texas, and things appear to be moving along in both states at a steady clip.
As The Oklahoman reports, Oklahoma's unemployment rate in September remained unchanged at 4.5 percent. State employment officials say Oklahoma is showing especially strong movement in the private sector. One year ago, the jobless rate in the Sooner State was half a point higher, at five percent.
Meanwhile, as KERA reports, the unemployment rate in Texas is even lower than that of its neighbor to the north, falling in September down to four percent. This marks the fifth straight month of declines in joblessness in the Lone Star State. Texas did lose about 7,300 jobs statewide due to Hurricane Harvey, but those losses were made up through robust job growth in other parts of the state.