Oklahoma City Ranked 2nd In Private Job Growth

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City ranks second in the nation for job growth in the private sector, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor.

The metro area saw a 2.38 percent increase in private job growth with 10,400 new jobs created between September 2009 and September 2010, which was the second-highest percentage gain among the nation's 100 largest metros.

"In today's climate, any job growth is great news but to be among one of the few cities that can boast more than a two-percent increase shows we are doing a lot of things right in Oklahoma City and that our economy is really diversifying," said President and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Roy Williams.

Austin, TX, topped the list at No. 1 with a 2.43 percent gain. Charleston, S.C., and Augusta, Ga., were the only other cites to post two percent or higher gains. The bureau's data also showed 56 of the 100 biggest metro areas experienced job losses in the private sector.

Oklahoma City has made several other notable lists this fall. Since October, Oklahoma City was named Most Affordable by Forbes, a Top 25 Performing City by The Milken Institute, No. 7 best City for Income Growth by Portfolio.com, Top 5 Fastest Growing City by Forbes and a Top 10 Places for Recovery by Newsweek.