The Lawton, OK job market kicked off 2024 with continued growth, adding 1.2% new jobs compared to December 2023. This translates to roughly 240 new positions across various sectors. While positive, the pace of growth slowed slightly compared to December’s 1.5% increase.
Highlights:
- Leisure and Hospitality: This industry led the pack, adding 4.3% new jobs, primarily in food service and accommodation sectors.
- Healthcare: Another strong performer, expanding by 2.8%, driven by demand for registered nurses and other medical professionals.
- Professional and Business Services: Grew by 2.0%, fueled by positions in administrative support and technical fields.
What Grew:
- Bartender: Demand surged by 18.5%, likely due to seasonal hiring in the hospitality industry.
- Registered Nurse: Increased by 12.3%, reflecting ongoing needs in healthcare facilities.
- Customer Service Representative: Grew by 10.8%, indicating expansion in retail and customer service sectors.
What Shrank:
- Construction: Downsized by 2.4%, potentially due to seasonal fluctuations in the industry.
- Transportation and Warehousing: Contracted by 1.8%, mainly impacting truck driver and logistics positions.
- Retail Trade: Shrunk by 1.2%, with job losses concentrated in sales and cashier roles.
Compared to Last Year:
- Lawton’s job market grew by 3.5% year-over-year, exceeding the national average of 2.8%.
- Leisure and Hospitality, Healthcare, and Professional and Business Services saw the most significant year-over-year growth.
Compared to Previous Month:
- Job growth slowed down slightly compared to December 2023‘s 1.5% increase.
- Construction and Transportation & Warehousing saw job losses not present in December’s report.
Future Outlook:
The Lawton job market is expected to maintain moderate growth in 2024, with key sectors like Healthcare, Professional & Business Services, and Leisure & Hospitality driving expansion. However, potential economic headwinds and industry fluctuations could impact specific sectors.
10 Growing Occupations:
- Bartender
- Registered Nurse
- Customer Service Representative
- Software Developer
- Physical Therapist
- Truck Driver
- Sales Representative
- Teacher
- Marketing Specialist
- Accountant
10 Companies Hiring Now:
- Comanche Nation Health System
- Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
- Cameron University
- Walmart
- Lawton Public Schools
- Apache Casino Hotel
- Carl’s Jr.
- Love’s Travel Stops
- McDonald’s
- Dollar General
Resources:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics – Lawton, OK
- ZipRecruiter – Lawton, OK Jobs
- Indeed – Lawton, OK Jobs