A MORE COMPETITIVE OKLAHOMA: THAT’S THE GAMEPLAN
OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 17, 2025) — Making Oklahoma more competitive on the national and international stage was the name of game Monday in Oklahoma City. Business, civic and state legislative leaders gathered at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage museum as the State Chamber served up its “Oklahoma Competes” initiative during their annual State of Business forum.
National business data expert Ted Abernathy laid out the finding of their recent deep dive into the Oklahoma economic landscape. Their bottom line: Oklahoma is falling behind other states across the country and in our region when it comes to growing and strengthening our economy and our communities. Oklahoma is….
| 49th | in Third Grade Reading Scores * |
| 50th | in Eighth Grade Math Scores* |
| 47th | in Health Rankings** |
The only state to see no growth in advanced industry jobs over last 5 years.
Sluggish GDP growth
over the past ten years (14% compared the U.S. average of 27.6%)
“Oklahoma has seen these numbers for decades. Our state isn’t losing because we lack resources—we’re losing because we haven’t put them to work. We have been complacent for too long. It’s time to step up and make Oklahoma competitive,” said Chad Warmington.
The State Chamber president and CEO, then laid out the ways he says our state can change course thru Oklahoma Competes. It’s a long-term strategic action framework designed to strengthen the state’s competitiveness. Oklahoma Competes focuses on advancing measurable progress through data-driven strategies and targeted policy initiatives across the four fundamentals of competitiveness:
- Economic Climate: Preserve and Promote Low-Cost, Pro-Business Advantages
- Education & Workforce: Improve Skills and Educational Outcomes
- Infrastructure: Develop the Infrastructure Needed for Growth
- Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Attract and Grow Better Jobs Numbers
Warmington stressed Oklahoma’s success in economic climate and infrastructure, saying that we need to stay vigilant to keep Oklahoma at the top in those areas. He says the real work needs to be done in Education & Workforce and Innovation & Entrepreneurship, stressing the need for literacy reform and more effective incentives for innovation.
“We accomplished the things with taxes and infrastructure to make Oklahoma one of if not the best state in the nation to do business.” said Warmington. “However, we are still not seeing the growth that our neighboring states are seeing. But we have been complacent for too long when it comes to education/workforce pipelines and innovation/entrepreneur programs. Change will be hard, but we have do the work if Oklahoma wants to grow and compete on the national stage.”
The State Chamber Research Foundation led the charge on Oklahoma Competes. SCRF worked with Abernathy and his group, Economic Leadership, to compile the data, and devise a course forward for success.
“Oklahoma Competes is about building a culture of competitiveness,” said Jake Yunker, Executive Director of The State Chamber Research Foundation. “Data allows policymakers to see what’s working, make quick adjustments, and ensure Oklahoma’s investments pay off for the people of our state.”
State Chamber leaders say Oklahoma Competes is based in data and is the clear path forward for Oklahoma.
“This is not just about building the workforce that we need in the future,” said State Chamber Research Foundation Board Chair Kristin Peck “If we choose to ignore this data, we will be failing our children. This has far reaching implications on the state of Oklahoma far beyond just the business climate. It’s really impacting our quality of life for generations to come.”
Chamber Chair Rick Nagel stressed the need to improve 3rd grade reading scores. The Acorn Capital Management CEO and University of Oklahoma Regent also pointed to needed improvements in our innovation and technology sectors.
“We have fallen behind in technology. We have lagged in not only the sustainment of high-tech jobs, but in the creation of new ones,” said Nagel. “This allows us to say with one strong, unified voice, that enough is enough. If we do this right, we will set an enduring plan for the state that will outlast political cycles. Folks coming in will be committed to making sure Oklahoma not only gets ahead but stays ahead.”
For more information on data and the strategic framework visit the website at OklahomaCompetes.com.
*According to NAEP 2024 results.
** America Health Rankings
Media Contact– Brent Skarky – brent@okstatechamber.com 405-818-1939
