Oklahoma economy to add jobs in 2013, economist Dan Rickman says
BY PAUL MONIES
Thursday, December 06, 2012
12/06/12 at 2:43 AM
STILLWATER - The Oklahoma economy is expected to see continued growth in 2013 as it bounces back from the effects of the national recession, an Oklahoma State University economist said in his annual forecast Wednesday.
Dan Rickman, regents professor of economics at OSU, estimates 26,600 jobs will be added in Oklahoma in 2013. The strongest growth is expected in professional and business services, with 5,000 jobs, and construction, which could add 4,000 jobs. Other sectors with robust employment growth are state and local government, leisure and hospitality, and wholesale trade.
Rickman said state employment growth will slow to 1.7 percent next year, down from 2.5 percent this year. He forecast national job growth of 1.5 percent in 2013, up slightly from 1.4 percent growth this year.
"Employment growth across the nation has become much more even in recent months, and Oklahoma's growth is expected to only slightly exceed the nation's growth in the upcoming year," he said. "Energy-related employment appears to have peaked with the moderation in oil prices. Other states hard hit by the recession have begun to recover more robustly."
Click here to read the complete article at NewsOK.com.
Original Print Headline: Growth is forecast for Oklahoma's economy
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