Goodbye 2025: Five Measurable Wins for Oklahoma

As 2025 comes to a close, Oklahoma can point to several measurable successes that shaped daily life across the state. While challenges remain, data and policy outcomes show progress in key areas that impacted jobs, infrastructure, education, and healthcare.

Here are five notable achievements Oklahoma recorded in 2025.

1. Oklahoma Maintained Strong Job Growth and Low Unemployment

Oklahoma entered 2025 with steady employment numbers and maintained one of the lower unemployment rates in the region throughout the year. Growth in energy, manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare continued to anchor the state’s workforce, while new projects brought jobs to both urban and rural communities. Workforce participation remained stable despite national economic headwinds.

2. Major Investments in Infrastructure and Transportation

Transportation and infrastructure funding moved forward in 2025, including turnpike improvements, bridge replacements, and road safety upgrades. Lawmakers and state agencies focused on long-deferred maintenance, easing bottlenecks and improving safety for drivers. Infrastructure investment also supported economic development, particularly in smaller communities.

3. Expanded Access to Healthcare in Rural Oklahoma

Oklahoma secured hundreds of millions of dollars in federal and state-backed healthcare funding, much of it directed toward rural hospitals, clinics, and mental health services. These investments helped stabilize facilities at risk of closure and expanded access to care for residents who previously had to travel long distances for treatment.

4. Workforce and Career Training Makes a Big Impact in 2025

Oklahoma’s network of career and technical education programs continued to play a major role in preparing students for the workforce in 2025. The state’s CareerTech system reported more than 517,000 total enrollments this year — including PK-12 students, adult learners, and industry training participants — highlighting its reach as a workforce engine statewide.

Career and technical education equips students with hands-on skills and industry connections, helping bridge the gap between classrooms and in-demand careers in fields such as healthcare, manufacturing, IT, and skilled trades. Industry leaders and education advocates have pointed to Oklahoma’s model as a statewide example of how education and workforce systems can align more closely to benefit both students and employers.

Rather than claiming broad new statewide programs without public metrics, focusing on the scale and economic value of CareerTech gives a strong, verifiable success story tied to workforce development in 2025.

5. State Revenue Performance Shows Strength — With Caution

For fiscal year 2025, Oklahoma’s general revenue collections showed resilience, totaling about $8.7 billion and exceeding official estimates — marking the fifth consecutive year revenue collections came in higher than projected.

Additionally, total state tax revenue collections reached nearly $17 billion by the end of FY2025, slightly above last year’s numbers, reflecting ongoing economic activity across sectors such as energy, personal income taxes, and corporate revenue.

While analysts note concerns about long-term budget sustainability due to tax cuts, reserve use and revenue volatility, this year’s actual figures suggest Oklahoma’s revenue streams remain relatively stable enough to support current services and planning going into 2026.

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