The Texas unemployment rate rose to 8.3 percent in September, after dipping from the high of 13.5 percent in April 2020 when the peak of COVID-19 impacts occurred. The increase was due to the civilian labor force shrinking as the number of individuals actively looking for work contracted, while the unemployed rose.
Texas employers added 40,700 jobs despite the increase in individuals exiting the labor force which also includes the self-employed. This marks the fifth consecutive month of job growth since measures were taken to control the spread of coronavirus began.
The monthly job increase exceeded September 2019, when 12,800 jobs were added.
“Despite the increase in the overall unemployment rate, Texas had a net gain in jobs for September,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “TWC continues to implement tools to spur additional job growth as a critical part of our efforts to grow the state’s economy.”
In September, the Leisure and Hospitality sector added 23,600 jobs, Government added 5,400 jobs and Professional and Business Services added 4,000 jobs.
“TWC offers numerous resources to Texans looking for work or building their careers,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “Local Workforce Solutions offices around the state can help job seekers with resumes, job preparation, and determining their career path.”
The Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) recorded September’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a not seasonally adjusted rate of 5.1 percent, followed by the College Station-Bryan MSA with the second-lowest rate of 5.5 percent. The Abilene MSAs recorded the third-lowest rate of 5.9 percent.
“TWC is committed to engaging with all Texas employers across the state to create and expand opportunities for all,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “Through my office, we remain dedicated to being the number one employment law resource for our Texas employers.”
Employment estimates released by TWC are produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| September 2020 | August 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emp. | Unemployment | Rate | Emp. | Unemployment | Rate | |
| United States | 147,796.0 | 12,277.0 | 7.7% | 147,224.0 | 13,742.0 | 8.5% |
| Texas | 13,030.8 | 1,177.6 | 8.3% | 13,330.1 | 1,000.3 | 7.0% |
| Abilene | 74.9 | 4.7 | 5.9% | 76.1 | 4.0 | 4.9% |
| Amarillo | 122.5 | 6.6 | 5.1% | 124.0 | 5.5 | 4.3% |
| Austin-Round Rock | 1,179.7 | 80.8 | 6.4% | 1,206.4 | 70.4 | 5.5% |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | 151.5 | 21.7 | 12.5% | 154.4 | 17.8 | 10.3% |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | 148.2 | 18.5 | 11.1% | 154.1 | 15.9 | 9.3% |
| College Station-Bryan | 132.1 | 7.7 | 5.5% | 131.5 | 6.5 | 4.7% |
| Corpus Christi | 183.3 | 20.6 | 10.1% | 190.1 | 17.4 | 8.4% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 3,741.3 | 301.6 | 7.5% | 3,828.4 | 258.2 | 6.3% |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving MD | 2,536.1 | 202.2 | 7.4% | 2,595.5 | 172.8 | 6.2% |
| Fort Worth-Arlington MD | 1,205.2 | 99.4 | 7.6% | 1,232.9 | 85.4 | 6.5% |
| El Paso | 336.5 | 31.9 | 8.7% | 344.9 | 27.1 | 7.3% |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 3,146.6 | 335.5 | 9.6% | 3,206.5 | 284.2 | 8.1% |
| Killeen-Temple | 165.5 | 13.2 | 7.4% | 169.1 | 10.9 | 6.1% |
| Laredo | 107.2 | 11.1 | 9.4% | 109.8 | 9.4 | 7.9% |
| Longview | 88.7 | 8.7 | 9.0% | 91.5 | 7.2 | 7.3% |
| Lubbock | 153.2 | 10.0 | 6.1% | 156.3 | 8.5 | 5.2% |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | 314.3 | 46.3 | 12.8% | 322.8 | 39.3 | 10.9% |
| Midland | 95.0 | 10.1 | 9.6% | 97.8 | 8.6 | 8.1% |
| Odessa | 76.3 | 11.6 | 13.2% | 78.0 | 9.7 | 11.1% |
| San Angelo | 50.0 | 3.8 | 7.1% | 50.8 | 3.2 | 5.9% |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | 1,124.4 | 94.6 | 7.8% | 1,153.7 | 81.4 | 6.6% |
| Sherman-Denison | 61.2 | 4.0 | 6.1% | 62.7 | 3.3 | 5.0% |
| Texarkana | 61.0 | 4.8 | 7.3% | 61.5 | 4.4 | 6.7% |
| Tyler | 100.8 | 7.9 | 7.2% | 103.8 | 6.6 | 6.0% |
| Victoria | 42.0 | 4.1 | 8.8% | 42.6 | 3.4 | 7.5% |
| Waco | 121.9 | 8.3 | 6.4% | 124.9 | 7.1 | 5.4% |
| Wichita Falls | 60.5 | 4.6 | 7.1% | 62.1 | 3.9 | 5.8% |
| INDUSTRY TITLE | Sep 2020* | Aug 2020 | Sep 2019 | Aug ’20 to Sep ’20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Change | Percent Change | ||||
| Total Nonagricultural | 12,265,200 | 12,224,500 | 12,848,800 | 40,700 | 0.3% |
| Total Private | 10,299,900 | 10,264,600 | 10,866,500 | 35,300 | 0.3% |
| Goods Producing | 1,806,300 | 1,798,600 | 1,938,700 | 7,700 | 0.4% |
| Mining and Logging | 190,300 | 189,000 | 245,800 | 1,300 | 0.7% |
| Construction | 745,200 | 741,500 | 783,500 | 3,700 | 0.5% |
| Manufacturing | 870,800 | 868,100 | 909,400 | 2,700 | 0.3% |
| Service Providing | 10,458,900 | 10,425,900 | 10,910,100 | 33,000 | 0.3% |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 2,438,600 | 2,439,700 | 2,514,500 | -1,100 | 0% |
| Information | 198,000 | 195,300 | 209,200 | 2,700 | 1.4% |
| Financial Activities | 805,400 | 807,500 | 808,000 | -2,100 | -0.3% |
| Professional and Business Services | 1,780,500 | 1,776,500 | 1,804,100 | 4,000 | 0.2% |
| Education and Health Services | 1,678,900 | 1,676,400 | 1,746,700 | 2,500 | 0.1% |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 1,171,900 | 1,148,300 | 1,396,900 | 23,600 | 2.1% |
| Other Services | 420,300 | 422,300 | 448,400 | -2,000 | -0.5% |
| Government | 1,965,300 | 1,959,900 | 1,982,300 | 5,400 | 0.3% |
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The measurements used to calculate the employment and unemployment rate are a bit unclear and often create a perception to the public that the economy is doing well. The employment rate is defined as those who you are still technically employed even though you may be on leave or your hours have been cut which is what has happened to many workers at this time. Unemployment rates measure those who are currently 16 yrs and over who are eligible to work and who are actively looking for work. This leaves out those who lost hope in looking for a job after 4 weeks and those who may be sick or injured.