Texas Ends 2015 with Another Month of Job Growth
24,900 jobs added in December, 166,900 total jobs added over the year
Texas employers expanded their payrolls in December with the addition of 24,900 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs, marking the tenth month of job increases for Texas in 2015.
“Texas finished 2015 on a strong note in December with employers adding 166,900 jobs over the year across a diverse range of industries,” said TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar. “Our state offers many advantages to employers who choose to do business in Texas and we are pleased employers continue to create opportunities for Texas workers.”
Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.7 percent in December, up from 4.6 percent in November, and remained below the national average of 5.0 percent.
Professional and Business Services employment surged in December with the addition of 12,500 positions. This marked the industry’s largest over-the-month gain since November 2014. The Education and Health Services industry recorded the second largest employment gain over the month in Texas with 7,400 jobs added. This marked 21 consecutive months of growth within the industry and a total of 66,700 jobs added since January 2015.
“Private-sector employment was strong over the year with the overall job growth of 141,300 jobs in December,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Ruth R. Hughs. “Texas employers continue to be strong and resilient in providing employment and training opportunities.”
The Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) recorded the month’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 2.9 percent, followed by the Austin-Round Rock and Lubbock MSAs each with rates of 3.1 percent in December.
Audio downloads with comments from Commissioner Hughs on the latest labor market data are available on the TWC website press release page. 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 tracer2.com.
