The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) is an

independent agency A regulatory agency (regulatory body, regulator) or independent agency (independent regulatory agency) is a government authority that is responsible for exercising autonomous dominion over some area of human activity in a licensing and regulati ...

of the state of Oklahoma responsible for providing employment services to the citizens of Oklahoma. The commission is part of a national network of employment service agencies and is funded by money from the

United States Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemploym ...

. The commission is also responsible for administering the

Workforce Investment Act of 1998 The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA, ) was a United States federal law that was repealed and replaced by the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Purpose The Workforce Investment Act is a federal act that "provides workforce investm ...

on behalf of the state. The commission is composed of five members appointed by the

governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gove ...

, with the approval of the

Oklahoma Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Leon C. Phillips Leon Chase "Red" Phillips (December 9, 1890 – March 27, 1958) was an American attorney, a state legislator and the 11th governor of Oklahoma from 1939 to 1943. As a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and as Speaker of the Oklahom ...

History and functions

The commission was created by the

Oklahoma Legislature The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 sta ...

in 1941. The commission is responsible for operating local workforce centers throughout the state. These centers provide testing, career counseling and placement services for job seekers; solicits job orders from employers; refers job seekers to jobs; and maintains a statewide online job listing databank. The commission also administers a number of programs that provide employment-related assistance for specific groups, such as dislocated workers, long-term unemployed adults and youth. The commission has responsibility for collecting unemployment insurance taxes from Oklahoma employers to fund payment of unemployment benefits to jobless workers. The commission, in cooperation with the

Bureau of Labor Statistics The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of t ...

, manages a number of research programs that provide current labor market information to employers, job seekers, employment and guidance counselors, and students to assist them in making informed decisions.

Leadership

The commission is under the supervision of the Secretary of Commerce and Tourism. Under

Governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gove ...

Kevin Stitt John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he began his first term as governor in January 2019 and was reelected to a second t ...

and David Ostrowe is serving as the Secretary.

Commission members

The commission is composed of five members appointed by the

, with the approval of the

Oklahoma Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933. Assistance may be provided to individuals in the form of referral to jobs, referral to supportive services, training assistance, or job development. The Veterans Services Division provides service to Oklahoma veterans through Veterans Representatives located in local offices and out-stationed at key service delivery points across the state. Workforce Services is responsible for administering the

(WIA). These WIA programs are federally funded and designed to provide employment and training services to individuals who, for various reasons, have been unable to obtain meaningful employment. This includes responsibility for administering programs that prepare youth and unskilled adults for entry into the labor force. The program also provides job training opportunities to economically disadvantaged individuals and those dislocated due to business closings and layoffs. The Workforce Investment Act also mandates the development of a comprehensive workforce system that includes many other workforce-related programs. To accomplish this goal, the division, in partnership with the

Oklahoma Department of Commerce The Oklahoma Department of Commerce is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the Oklahoma secretary of commerce. The department is responsible for the supporting local communities, stimulating growth of the existing businesses, attrac ...

, serves as the administrative staff to the State Workforce Investment Board. The Board is charged with the responsibility of making recommendations regarding the development of this comprehensive system.

Unemployment Insurance Division

The Unemployment Insurance Division is responsible for paying unemployment benefits to qualified unemployed wage earners. OESC makes rigorous efforts to locate suitable employment opportunities and /or provide re-employment assistance so those individuals receiving unemployment benefits may re-enter the workforce as quickly as possible. The Unemployment Insurance Division maintains the Unemployment Insurance program which was established through the Social Security Act of 1935. Unemployment benefits are paid as a weekly sum to qualified unemployed wage earners covered under the law. Funds for payment of these benefits are provided through a state tax paid by employers and deposited in a state-specific trust fund. Administrative funding for the program is provided through the federal FUTA taxes paid by employers for that purpose.

Economic Research and Analysis Division

The Economic Research and Analysis Division is responsible for collecting, analyzing and disseminating a wide array of socio-economic, employment-related data. The Division maintains

programs such as Current Employment Statistics (CES), Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) and Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). In addition to these programs, this Division also maintains a number of other Labor Market Information (LMI) programs, such as the Occupational Wage Survey Reports and Industry & Occupational Projections. These products and services are requested by a diverse group of customers who need or desire to track the economic health of the state of Oklahoma and its local areas.

Staffing

The Employment Security Commission had an annual non-appropriated agency budget of almost $128.7 million in fiscal year 2011. The agency is one of the larger employers among Oklahoma state agencies, with 792 full-time employees in fiscal year 2010.FY 2012 State Budget

Oklahoma Office of State Finance The Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) is a government agency which manages and supports the basic functioning of the government of Oklahoma. Under the leadership of the Oklahoma Secretary of Agency Accountability, OMES p ...

References

External links

Oklahoma Employment Security Commission official website

Employment Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...

1941 establishments in Oklahoma {{Oklahoma-gov-stub