Lawton, OK – January 2024 Jobs Report – Steady Growth Amidst Shifting Landscape

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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:

  1. Bartender
  2. Registered Nurse
  3. Customer Service Representative
  4. Software Developer
  5. Physical Therapist
  6. Truck Driver
  7. Sales Representative
  8. Teacher
  9. Marketing Specialist
  10. Accountant

10 Companies Hiring Now:

  1. Comanche Nation Health System
  2. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
  3. Cameron University
  4. Walmart
  5. Lawton Public Schools
  6. Apache Casino Hotel
  7. Carl’s Jr.
  8. Love’s Travel Stops
  9. McDonald’s
  10. Dollar General

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