TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma's mining and logging sector, which includes the oil and gas industry, lost an estimated 2,400 jobs in February as the state's overall jobless rate remained steady.
The Tulsa World reports that the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the job losses Friday. According to the OESC's chief economist, Lynn Gray, the job decline matches that of the worst month for the industry since 1990.
According to government data, February was the third month in a row that the state's jobless rate remained at 3.9 percent.
Gray said that in December and January, the mining and logging sector lost an estimated 100 and 500 jobs, respectively. Several energy-related companies in Tulsa have let go of workers in recent months.