Texas unemployment rate unchanged at 6.9 percent, adds 99,000 jobs in March
In March, the seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate was 6.9 percent, unchanged from February 2021. Texas gained 99,000 total nonagricultural jobs over the month, marking gains in 10 of the last 11 months. Private sector employment increased 106,600 for the month.
“Positive job numbers for March continue to show Texas is on track for continued growth,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “TWC will continue to provide flexible and innovative training programs to help provide all Texans with skills they can use for workforce success.”
All industries except the Government sector added jobs over the month, while four had series-high job gains dating back to 1990. In March, the Leisure and Hospitality industry led with 23,100 jobs while Construction employment increased by 19,100 positions. The Professional and Business Services industry followed with a gain of 14,800 jobs.
“That Texas added over 100,000 private sector jobs in the midst of a pandemic is extraordinary,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “This is great news for the workers of Texas, and TWC stands ready to help continue this growth through skills training and job matching services through MyTXCareer.com and our local workforce development boards.”
The Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) recorded March’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a not seasonally adjusted rate of 4.9 percent, followed by the Austin-Round Rock MSA and College Station-Bryan MSA which were tied for the second lowest rate of 5.3 percent.
“This report is great news, and Texas’ job growth is due to the strong commitment of our Texas employers that continue to invest in our world-class workforce,” said Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “My office continues to work with our Texas employers through projects like the Restaurant Recovery Program, which helps restaurants adapt to the ongoing pandemic environment in a safe and strategic manner.”
Employment estimates released by TWC are produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. All estimates are subject to revision. To access this and more employment data, visit TexasLMI.com.
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| MARCH 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.L.F. | EMPLOYED | UNEMPLOYMENT | RATE | |
| United States | 160,397.0 | 150,493.0 | 9,905.0 | 6.2% |
| Texas | 14,096.6 | 13,086.9 | 1,009.7 | 7.2% |
| Abilene | 79.0 | 74.5 | 4.6 | 5.8% |
| Amarillo | 134.0 | 127.4 | 6.5 | 4.9% |
| Austin-Round Rock | 1,271.2 | 1,203.7 | 67.4 | 5.3% |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | 173.4 | 154.7 | 18.7 | 10.8% |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | 170.9 | 153.7 | 17.1 | 10.0% |
| College Station-Bryan | 135.0 | 127.9 | 7.1 | 5.3% |
| Corpus Christi | 203.4 | 185.5 | 17.9 | 8.8% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 4,021.0 | 3,758.0 | 263.0 | 6.5% |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving MD | 2,714.3 | 2,539.6 | 174.6 | 6.4% |
| Fort Worth-Arlington MD | 1,306.7 | 1,218.3 | 88.4 | 6.8% |
| El Paso | 367.3 | 338.6 | 28.7 | 7.8% |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 3,395.3 | 3,123.9 | 271.4 | 8.0% |
| Killeen-Temple | 178.5 | 166.0 | 12.6 | 7.1% |
| Laredo | 116.0 | 106.8 | 9.2 | 7.9% |
| Longview | 96.2 | 88.7 | 7.6 | 7.8% |
| Lubbock | 164.8 | 155.3 | 9.5 | 5.8% |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | 364.5 | 323.6 | 40.8 | 11.2% |
| Midland | 97.4 | 89.9 | 7.4 | 7.4% |
| Odessa | 79.3 | 70.6 | 8.7 | 11.0% |
| San Angelo | 54.6 | 51.3 | 3.3 | 6.1% |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | 1,218.0 | 1,138.9 | 79.2 | 6.5% |
| Sherman-Denison | 65.3 | 61.6 | 3.7 | 5.7% |
| Texarkana | 63.6 | 59.4 | 4.2 | 6.6% |
| Tyler | 110.0 | 102.9 | 7.1 | 6.5% |
| Victoria | 44.3 | 40.8 | 3.5 | 7.9% |
| Waco | 130.1 | 122.1 | 7.9 | 6.1% |
| Wichita Falls | 64.1 | 59.9 | 4.2 | 6.6% |
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| INDUSTRY TITLE | MAR 2021* | FEB 2020 | MAR 2020 | JAN ’21 to FEB ’21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABSOLUTE CHANGE | ||||
| Total Nonagricultural | 12,500,800 | 12,401,800 | 12,906,000 | 99,000 |
| Total Private | 10,551,300 | 10,444,700 | 10,904,800 | 106,600 |
| Goods Producing | 1,797,600 | 1,765,500 | 1,921,200 | 32,100 |
| Mining and Logging | 185,700 | 180,200 | 233,400 | 5,500 |
| Construction | 744,500 | 725,400 | 779,900 | 19,100 |
| Manufacturing | 867,400 | 859,900 | 907,900 | 7,500 |
| Service Providing | 10,703,200 | 10,636,300 | 10,984,800 | 66,900 |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 2,547,800 | 2,537,500 | 2,534,000 | 10,300 |
| Information | 202,000 | 200,400 | 210,300 | 1,600 |
| Financial Activities | 826,000 | 816,100 | 818,100 | 9,900 |
| Professional and Business Services | 1,822,700 | 1,807,900 | 1,824,700 | 14,800 |
| Education and Health Services | 1,717,200 | 1,706,600 | 1,772,200 | 10,600 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 1,235,000 | 1,211,900 | 1,377,900 | 23,100 |
| Other Services | 403,000 | 398,800 | 446,400 | 4,200 |
| Government | 1,949,500 | 1,957,100 | 2,001,200 | 7,600 |
