By Taryn Reynolds, MSL, THRP II, REDW Senior Human Resources Consultant,
and Jessica Goodfox, THRP, TMP, HRC Business Partner, REDW
Oklahoma’s labor market is among the fastest-growing in the country — and Tribal Nations are helping drive that growth. For tribal employers, that raises a strategic question that goes well beyond filling open roles: how do you build the workforce systems to sustain it? REDW Human Resources Consultants Taryn Reynolds (MSL, THRP II) and Jessica Goodfox (THRP, TMP) work with tribal governments and enterprises across Oklahoma on exactly this challenge. The insights below come from their work advising tribal organizations on workforce strategy.
Recent workforce data has placed Oklahoma among the nation’s fastest-growing labor markets. Oklahoma’s job openings have risen nearly 19% since early 2020 — the third-largest increase in the nation, behind only Idaho and Mississippi — according to U.S. Chamber of Commerce data mapped by Visual Capitalist — signaling continued economic growth across the state.
At first glance, this appears to be good news. More jobs typically indicate business growth, economic investment, and expanding opportunities for workers. However, from an employer’s perspective, increased hiring demand also raises important questions. Where will organizations find the talent needed to fill these positions? How will employers compete for a limited workforce? And perhaps most importantly, what role are Tribal Nations playing in Oklahoma’s workforce growth?
Photo: Cristin Heyns
These questions matter because Tribal Nations are not simply participating in Oklahoma’s economy. They are helping shape it.
How Are Tribal Nations Shaping Oklahoma’s Economy?
Recent research from the Economic Impact of Tribal Nations in Oklahoma report found that Tribal Nations contributed $23.4 billion in economic activity during Fiscal Year 2023. Tribal governments and enterprises directly employed more than 55,000 Oklahomans and supported nearly 140,000 jobs statewide through both direct and indirect economic activity, according to the 2025 report Economic Impact of Tribal Nations in Oklahoma: Fiscal Year 2023, (authored by Dr. Kyle D. Dean of Oklahoma City University and commissioned by United for Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association).
Beyond employment, Tribal Nations generated approximately $7.8 billion in wages and benefits while investing in healthcare, education, infrastructure, housing, public safety, and economic development initiatives throughout Oklahoma, according to the same report.
These numbers tell a powerful story.
When discussions occur around Oklahoma’s workforce growth, Tribal Nations should not be viewed as a separate segment of the economy. They are among the state’s largest employers, investors, and economic development partners. Their growth contributes directly to the labor market conditions that employers across Oklahoma are experiencing today.
While current workforce research does not isolate what percentage of Oklahoma’s nearly 19% increase in hiring demand is directly attributable to Tribal Nations, the economic impact data suggests that tribes play a significant role in creating and sustaining employment opportunities throughout the state.
In many communities, tribal governments and enterprises are not simply employers. They are anchor institutions.
Why Does Workforce Growth Create New Challenges?
Economic growth is generally celebrated, and rightfully so. Yet growth creates challenges that are often less visible than the job numbers themselves.
As tribal organizations expand services, launch new initiatives, build infrastructure, develop businesses, and increase community investments, workforce demands grow alongside them.
The challenge is that workforce growth does not automatically create workforce capacity.
Many organizations today are experiencing:
Increased competition for talent
Retention challenges
Leadership succession concerns
Increased employee expectations
Difficulties filling specialized positions
Greater demands on managers and supervisors
These challenges are not unique to tribal organizations. However, they often carry additional implications within tribal communities where workforce stability directly affects services, programs, and long-term strategic goals.
As tribes continue to invest in economic development, workforce strategy becomes increasingly important to sustaining that growth.
Why Is Workforce Strategy a Form of Economic Development?
Traditionally, workforce discussions occur within human resources departments while economic development conversations occur elsewhere. Increasingly, those conversations must be connected.
Every new business venture, healthcare expansion, housing project, infrastructure initiative, or government program requires people to make it successful.
Without a strong workforce strategy, even the best economic development plans can struggle to achieve their intended outcomes.
If you lead a tribal organization, these questions are likely already on your mind:
These are not simply HR questions. They are organizational sustainability questions.
What’s Changing in Oklahoma’s Workforce?
At the same time, Oklahoma employers are navigating significant changes in the broader workforce environment.
The question is no longer simply whether organizations can fill open positions.
It’s whether they are building workforce systems capable of supporting long-term growth.
The rise of remote work has expanded employment options for many workers. Employee expectations around flexibility, leadership, workplace culture, and career development continue to evolve. Employers across industries are competing for many of the same talent pools.
For tribal employers, this environment reinforces the importance of understanding both internal workforce dynamics and external labor market trends.
What Should Employers Do Beyond Recruiting?
When organizations struggle to fill positions, the first instinct is often to focus on recruiting.
Recruitment certainly matters. However, workforce challenges are rarely solved through recruitment alone.
Organizations that successfully navigate growth often take a broader approach by evaluating:
Workforce planning
Succession planning
Leadership development
Performance management systems
Employee experience
Compensation and market competitiveness
Organizational structure
Culture and engagement
Together, these components create the foundation needed to attract, retain, and develop talent over time.
The organizations that invest in these areas proactively are often better positioned to adapt as workforce conditions evolve.
Supporting the Workforce Behind Sovereignty
Tribal Nations have long demonstrated their ability to create economic opportunity, strengthen communities, and invest in future generations.
The latest economic impact data reinforces what many tribal leaders already know: Tribal Nations are helping drive Oklahoma’s economic success.
As hiring demand continues to grow, the next workforce challenge may not be creating jobs. It may be ensuring organizations have the people, leadership, and systems necessary to sustain that growth.
For tribal leaders, workforce strategy is no longer simply an HR function. It is a critical component of economic development, organizational effectiveness, and long-term sovereignty.
The organizations that thrive in the years ahead will be those that invest not only in economic growth, but also in the workforce systems that make that growth possible.
At REDW, we’ve had the privilege of walking alongside Tribal Nations as they build those systems — and we’re always glad to be a sounding board for the leaders doing this work.
References
Dean, Kyle D. (2025). Economic Impact of Tribal Nations in Oklahoma: Fiscal Year 2023. Commissioned by United for Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. Visual Capitalist. “Mapped: America’s Hiring Map Has Flipped Since 2020.” May 27, 2026.
