Texas Adds 67,600 Private Sector Positions In December, Unemployment Rate Drops
AUSTIN – Texas added 64,200 total nonagricultural jobs over the month, marking the eighth consecutive month of job growth in Texas. The Texas unemployment rate for December 2020 was 7.2 percent, down from 8.1 percent in November 2020.
“The private-sector job growth we saw in December is promising,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “TWC continues to dedicate significant resources for Texans looking for new jobs and for Texas employers working to fill open jobs.”
In December, the Professional and Business Services industry added 27,000 jobs. Trade, Transportation, and Utilitiy industries added 20,100 jobs and Education and Health Services added 6,600 jobs.
“This month’s job numbers prove that high-skilled workers are in-demand,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “TWC continues to encourage Texans to utilize up-skilling opportunities like the Skills Enhancement Initiative through Metrix learning.”
The Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) recorded December’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a not seasonally adjusted rate of 4.9 percent, followed by the College Station-Bryan MSA with the second-lowest rate of 5.0 percent. The Austin-Round Rock MSA recorded the third-lowest rate of 5.1 percent.
“Texas employers continue to remain steadfast as December marks the fifth consecutive month of private-sector job growth, which is a testament to their hard work and dedication,” said Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “As we kick off the first quarter of 2021, my office stands ready to help all employers navigate the exciting future which lays ahead! We look forward to helping Texas continue to be the best state in which to do business.”
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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| December 2020 | November 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.L.F. | Employed | Unemployed | Rate | Rate | |
| United States | 160,017.0 | 149,613.0 | 10,404.0 | 6.5% | 6.4% |
| Texas | 14,170.5 | 13,163.7 | 1,006.7 | 7.1% | 8.0% |
| Abilene | 79.0 | 74.8 | 4.2 | 5.4% | 6.0% |
| Amarillo | 128.8 | 122.6 | 6.3 | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Austin-Round Rock | 1,267.2 | 1,202.1 | 65.0 | 5.1% | 5.9% |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | 172.3 | 153.3 | 19.0 | 11.0% | 11.8% |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | 166.2 | 149.1 | 17.1 | 10.3% | 11.2% |
| College Station-Bryan | 137.9 | 131.0 | 7.0 | 5.0% | 5.5% |
| Corpus Christi | 200.8 | 182.7 | 18.1 | 9.0% | 10.0% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 4,059.1 | 3,802.4 | 256.7 | 6.3% | 7.2% |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving MD | 2,742.8 | 2,571.7 | 171.2 | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Fort Worth-Arlington MD | 1,316.3 | 1,230.7 | 85.6 | 6.5% | 7.3% |
| El Paso | 366.2 | 336.7 | 29.5 | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 3,445.6 | 3,169.2 | 276.4 | 8.0% | 8.9% |
| Killeen-Temple | 177.5 | 165.7 | 11.9 | 6.7% | 7.4% |
| Laredo | 116.8 | 107.3 | 9.5 | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| Longview | 97.2 | 89.5 | 7.7 | 8.0% | 8.9% |
| Lubbock | 161.5 | 152.5 | 9.0 | 5.6% | 6.2% |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | 358.6 | 316.5 | 42.0 | 11.7% | 12.5% |
| Midland | 105.3 | 96.8 | 8.4 | 8.0% | 9.3% |
| Odessa | 86.3 | 76.4 | 9.9 | 11.5% | 13.1% |
| San Angelo | 53.5 | 50.1 | 3.4 | 6.4% | 7.2% |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | 1,213.9 | 1,136.1 | 77.9 | 6.4% | 7.3% |
| Sherman-Denison | 65.4 | 61.9 | 3.6 | 5.4% | 6.1% |
| Texarkana | 65.9 | 62.2 | 3.7 | 5.7% | 6.9% |
| Tyler | 109.3 | 102.3 | 6.9 | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Victoria | 45.8 | 42.2 | 3.6 | 7.8% | 8.8% |
| Waco | 128.9 | 121.2 | 7.7 | 5.9% | 6.5% |
| Wichita Falls | 65.1 | 60.7 | 4.4 | 6.8% | 7.3% |
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| INDUSTRY TITLE | Dec 2020* | Nov 2020 | Dec 2019 | Nov ’20 to Dec ’20 | Dec ’19 to Dec ’20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent Change | Percent Change | ||||
| Total Nonagricultural | 12,514,200 | 12,450,000 | 12,945,000 | 0.5% |
-3.3% |
| Total Private | 10,578,100 | 10,510,500 | 10,962,800 | 0.6% |
-3.5% |
| Goods Producing | 1,836,500 | 1,829,700 | 1,941,300 | 0.4% |
-5.4% |
| Mining and Logging | 194,000 | 193,000 | 236,200 | 0.5% |
-17.9% |
| Construction | 761,400 | 758,300 | 795,000 | 0.4% |
-4.2% |
| Manufacturing | 881,100 | 878,400 | 910,100 | 0.3% |
-3.2% |
| Service Providing | 10,677,700 | 10,620,300 | 11,003,700 | 0.5% |
-3.0% |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 2,498,900 | 2,478,800 | 2,547,600 | 0.8% |
-1.9% |
| Information | 201,400 | 197,900 | 209,100 | 1.8% |
-3.7% |
| Financial Activities | 820,300 | 825,100 | 812,100 | -0.6% |
1.0% |
| Professional and Business Services | 1,857,300 | 1,830,300 | 1,820,900 | 1.5% |
2.0% |
| Education and Health Services | 1,695,500 | 1,688,900 | 1,767,000 | 0.4% |
-4.0% |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 1,237,900 | 1,231,600 | 1,411,000 | 0.5% |
-12.3% |
| Other Services | 430,300 | 428,200 | 453,800 | 0.5% |
-5.2% |
| Government | 1,936,100 | 1,939,500 | 1,982,200 | -0.2% |
-2.3% |
