Oklahoma is located in the South central region of the United States. The state is known for the nickname the “Sooner State” and its name was derived from the Choctaw words “okla” and “humma” which means “red people”. The capital and largest city is Oklahoma City. It lies in the area known as “Tornado Alley” and is prone to undergoing severe weather conditions. Oklahoma is struck with an average of 54 tornadoes a year. It is home to 3,687,050 (2009 est.).*
During the early 20th century, Tulsa claimed the nickname “Oil Capital of the World” as numerous oil pools were discovered in the state. For most of the 20th century, oil fueled the economy in Oklahoma. In recent years its continued use of the phrase is purely historical. It is one of the most agriculturally productive states, with outputs such as beef, broilers, hogs, sheep, turkeys, lambs, farm-raised catfish, milk and eggs. The most valuable crop to come from Oklahoma is wheat, ranking as one of the top producers of wheat in the nation. Aside from these, the state also produces greenhouse and nursery products, cotton, hay, soybeans, oats, corn, peanuts, pecans, watermelons, grain sorghum, rye and peaches. Leading the manufacturing industry is the production of machinery, particularly oil field machineries. Aside from this, construction machinery, machine parts and refrigeration and heating equipment are also manufactured in Oklahoma. The second most important in the industry is the manufacture of transportation equipment, followed closely by computer and electronic equipment, processed foods, fabricated metal products and rubber and plastic products.
Central to the state’s economy is oil energy industry bringing in significant revenue. It is one of the top producers of natural gas and crude oil. The Bureau of Economic Analysis has reported an estimated gross state product of $151 billion for Oklahoma as of 2008.**
The unemployment rate for Oklahoma was at 7.0% as of August 2010.***
| Unemployment Agency | Website | Phone Number | State |
| Employment Security Division | Oklahoma Website | Oklahoma Unemployment Benefits |
Below is a list of the 50 largest employers in Oklahoma:****
| Employer | City |
| TINKER AIR FORCE BASE | Tinker Afb |
| INTEGRIS BAPTIST MEDICAL CTR | Oklahoma City |
| ST. FRANCIS HEART HOSPITAL | Tulsa |
| ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL | Tulsa |
| AMERICAN AIRLINES MNTNC | Tulsa |
| OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY | Stillwater |
| US FAA | Oklahoma City |
| ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE | Altus Afb |
| OU MEDICAL CENTER | Oklahoma City |
| MERCY HEALTH CTR INC | Oklahoma City |
| BANK OF OKLAHOMA | Tulsa |
| CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORP | Oklahoma City |
| FIRELAKE GRAND CASINO | Shawnee |
| VERIZON | Tulsa |
| CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF OKLAHOMA | Oklahoma City |
| NORMAN REGIONAL HOSPITAL | Norman |
| NORMAN REGIONAL HEALTH PRMTN | Norman |
| CIVILIAN PERSONNEL MGMT SVC | Altus Afb |
| UPS | Oklahoma City |
| GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO | Lawton |
| WIN STAR WORLD CASINOS | Thackerville |
| CONVERGYS CORP | Moore |
| NORDAM GROUP | Tulsa |
| CONOCO PHILLIPS PONCA CITY | Ponca City |
| HOBBY LOBBY STORES INC | Oklahoma City |
| MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA INC | Ardmore |
| SEABOARD FARMS | Guymon |
| ST. ANTHONY HOSPITAL | Oklahoma City |
| COMANCHE COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSP | Lawton |
| SAINTS HEART & VASCULAR INST | Oklahoma City |
| V.A. MEDICAL CTR-OKLAHOMA CITY | Oklahoma City |
| GEORGIA-PACIFIC CORP | Muskogee |
| INTEGRIS SOUTHWEST MEDICAL CTR | Oklahoma City |
| DOLLAR THRIFTY AUTOMOTIVE GRP | Tulsa |
| HILLCREST HEALTHCARE SYST LLC | Tulsa |
| INTERNATIONAL PAPER CO | Valiant |
| TOTAL MEDICAL PERSONNEL SVC | Tulsa |
| TYSON FOODS INC | Broken Bow |
| UNIVERSITY CENTER-UCO | Edmond |
| WILLIAMS GAS PIPELINE TRANSCO | Tulsa |
| SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA ST UNIV | Durant |
| PUBLIC SAFETY DEPT | Oklahoma City |
| BLUE CROSS & BLUE SHIELD OF OK | Tulsa |
| BLUE LINCS HMO | Tulsa |
| CHARLES MACHINE WORKS INC | Perry |
| CITGO PIPELINE CO | Tulsa |
| PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF OKLAHOMA | Tulsa |
| DEACONESS HOSPITAL | Oklahoma City |
| OKLAHOMAN | Oklahoma City |
| DOWNSTREAM HOTEL | Quapaw |
Sources:
* http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/40000.html
** http://www.bea.gov/regional/gsp/action.cfm
*** http://data.bls.gov:8080/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet;jsessionid=6230e96069757e68526d
**** http://www.acinet.org/acinet/oview6.asp?soccode=&stfips=40&from=State&id=11&nodeid=12