TULSA -- Oklahoma added 22,500 jobs last year as the energy sector fueled an employment growth rate of 1.4 percent, sixth highest among all states, according to a newly released report.

"We're growing 1 percent faster than the national rate," said Mark Snead, Oklahoma State University economist and author of the updated 2008 Oklahoma Economic Outlook report released Wednesday. "I believe it would take a very severe recession at the national level to pull job growth.

"This is a fun time to be in Oklahoma. This is as good as it gets."

While the state has slowed during the first two quarters of 2008, Oklahoma's more stable housing market, stronger job growth and fewer credit issues have kept it ahead of the national decline and most nonenergy states.

-- AP