Published: November 24, 2009 09:08 am      

Chickasha bucks unemployment trend

As unemployment continually rises across the U.S. and Oklahoma, in Chickasha unemployment numbers are decreasing.

Oklahoma's unemployment rate crept up to 7.1 percent in October, an expansion of 0.3 percentage points in one month, according to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. When Compared to October 2008, it was an increase of almost 3 percent. National unemployment crested the 10 percent mark, but in Chickasha the rate has dropped by 0.2 percent from 7.6 in July to 7.4 in October.

"While it is difficult to find work, things are getting better," said Max McKnight, Economic Development Council president. "Recent months in Grady County have been trending downward."

He said that unemployment peaked at 7.6 percent in July, a 3.6 percent increase when compared to the year before. McKnight said that there are 23,660 workers in Grady County, and each incremental increase equals roughly 100 jobs. He said that at this time last year the economy was in a free fall, but jobs have started reappearing in the marketplace.

McKnight said that numerous businesses in the county have increased hours, hired more staff and seem to be surviving. He could not divulge the names of the companies, but said they were largely manufacturing firms.

Even though things are looking up, McKnight does not want to count his chickens before they hatch.

"Unfortunately I feel like the recovery is going to be in small steps, where a year ago it was falling in big steps downward," McKnight said.

Senior Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., is working to take those small steps. Last week he and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., submitted a coauthored bill to the Senate. Their bill was written to spark new jobs in Oklahoma and other parts of the country.

The Inhofe-Boxer EDA reauthorization bill calls for the Economic Development Agency to kick into high gear and create a bevy of jobs. The EDA works in economically distressed communities to create wealth and minimize poverty through the promotion of favorable business environments that attract private investment and long-term growth.

Inhofe said he looks forward to the entire Senate passing the bill.