OKC MAPS PROJECTS – 25 YEARS
nation is traced to just two occupations - management occupations (possibly a reflection of the preference of high earners to live in an urban setting) and health occupations (largely driven by the presence of SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital, OU Medicine, and the Research Park in the study area). There is also a relatively high concentration of legal, architecture and engineering occupations as well as workers in arts, design, entertainment, sports and media occupations. These high shares may also reflect the ongoing shift among professionals across all fields who prefer to live in a more urban location. Despite significant construction activity downtown and a rebound in mining activity in the state much of the past two decades, there is a relatively low share of study area residents in the construction and extraction occupations. These low shares likely reflect the tendency of construction and extraction workers to commute to a changing work location and to not typically choose their residence based on place of work. A low share of workers in the study area is also found in occupations related to production, transportation and material moving operations. Most industrial and manufacturing activities exited the study area over the past several decades. Low occupation shares are also found for residents working in protection and public safety. There is a similar low share of workers in office and administrative support occupations among residents in the study area. Again, this does not indicate a low share of these jobs located downtown but a low share of downtown residents who work in these occupations. The low share likely reflects, in part, the relatively low average wages paid across these occupations and the above-average cost of living downtown relative to other areas in the region.
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