News •
Oklahoma’s economy is not as balanced as those of many other U.S. states. There has in the past been overdependence on agriculture and petroleum, but the efforts of state and local officials to attract new forms of industry as well as tourism have shown some success. The annual per capita income is significantly below the national average, as is the median household income.
Oklahoma remains something of an economic satellite of the industrial North and East, furnishing food, raw materials, and fuels to them. Despite the state’s great efforts to diversify—for example, the manufacture of transportation equipment has become important—just over one-tenth of its workers are in manufacturing, lower than the national average. Services employ the greatest number of people, followed by wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, finance, insurance and real estate, transportation and public utilities, construction, and mining.
Agriculture and forestry
Traditionally, agriculture has furnished an important part of Oklahoma’s income, though Oklahoma’s farms, which are slightly larger than the national average, have slightly less value per acre. In line with national trends, the averages are likely to remain the same, but the number of units will probably continue to decline. In commercial agricultural production, livestock ranks first, followed by wheat, dairy products, cotton, soybeans, and other field crops and general produce. Less than one-fifth of the state is forested. Commercially exploitable timber primarily consists of softwoods, mostly harvested in the southeast.
Resources and power
Oklahoma ranks high nationally in the value of mineral production, which includes petroleum, natural gas, natural gas liquids, coal, and stone. Oil and gas production historically have been the major components of Oklahoma’s economy. Networks of pipelines move the petroleum products to refineries and markets throughout the region and elsewhere in the country. Fluctuations in oil prices—such as those in the 1980s—have sometimes reduced the importance of oil and gas and caused widespread economic depression at various points in the state’s history, evidenced by a large number of bank failures in Oklahoma in the 1980s and early 1990s. Coal and gas are the two main sources of power generation; together they produce nearly all the state’s electric power. The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw the addition of geothermal and wind-energy sources to the power mix; both showed great potential to replace fossil fuels in the future. In July 2000 the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce created an alliance known as the Oklahoma Wind Power Initiative.
Manufacturing
Manufactured goods constitute a minor proportion of Oklahoma’s economy, as compared to the production of raw materials. The manufacture of electronics and communications equipment, industrial machinery, and transportation equipment is the mainstay of the sector. The first major commercial pulp and paper plant in the state was established in 1970, and several international manufacturers have located mills and packaging facilities in towns around the state.
Services, labour, and taxation
Services are one of Oklahoma’s dominant economic activities, and government is the largest single employer. Much activity in the tourist sector surrounds the state’s Western heritage, Native American attractions, and outdoor activities throughout Oklahoma’s diverse terrain. The state’s union membership rate is significantly lower than the national average; in a 2001 referendum, voters approved antiunion right-to-work legislation.
For financial support of its functions, Oklahoma relies basically on taxes on petroleum, natural gas, gasoline, income, and sales. Property taxes are used largely for the support of county, municipal, and school needs. A major check on spending since 1941 has been Oklahoma’s “budget-balancing” amendment, by which the legislature is forbidden to appropriate more money than in the previous year plus estimated additional revenues.
Transportation
Oklahoma’s transportation facilities help account for its favourable record in attracting new industry. The state has well-developed networks of roads and highways and of railroads. Amtrak provides passenger train service between Oklahoma City and points in Oklahoma and Texas. Tulsa and Oklahoma City are the major transport hubs. The state’s major airport, Will Rogers World Airport, is located in Oklahoma City; regional facilities are in Lawton and Tulsa. A barge system carries cargo from Tulsa to the Gulf of Mexico by way of locks and dams on the Arkansas River.