Lower natural gas prices led to a reduction of about 5,400 jobs at the end of the third quarter compared to the same time period a year ago.
In addition, government spending cuts combined with the October government shutdown hit Oklahoma’s military bases and their communities especially hard. According to government data, the 16-day shutdown had a negative-0.5 percent impact on the state’s economic growth.
That’s
not a total game-changer, but it’s enough information for the public to
get riled — and rightfully so. Aren’t government decisions supposed to
help people, not hurt them?
This article appears in Dec 18-24, 2013.