Texas employment hits all-time high in August – EastTexasRadio.com

AUSTIN ⎯ After continued growth in August, Texas once again set new records for jobs, employment and the civilian labor force. Total non-farm payrolls increased by 16,700 jobs for the month and reached the 23rd consecutive level of 13,979,100 jobs and the 30th month of growth. Since August 2022, employment in the Lone Star State has grown by 402,000 jobs and continued to outpace the nation in annual employment growth rates.

The number of employed persons increased by another 24.3 thousand people during the month, raising a new record to 14 million 489 thousand. Texas’ seasonally adjusted civilian labor force rose another 33,500 over the month, bringing the total to 15,111,900, another record for the state. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was held at 4.1 percent in August, marking the fourth straight month.

“After 30 months of job growth, the number of employed Texans has reached more than 14.4 million,” said TWC Chairman Brian Daniel. “TWC supports the state’s continued economic growth through programs like Jobs and Education for Texans and the Skills Development Fund, which help improve the skills of the Texas workforce to meet employer demand.”

Leisure and hospitality added 9,100 jobs during the month. Another 5,000 jobs were added in other services, and financial activities gained 3,300 positions. During the year, the Texas labor market grew faster than the U.S., with industries such as mining and logging and financial activities outpacing the national growth rate by 3.9 and 3.0 percentage points, respectively. Other services also grew 2.7 points faster in Texas than the nation for the year.

“Our world-class workforce in Texas has grown by more than 400,000 jobs over the past year, largely due to strong job creation by our private sector employers,” said TWC Employer Representative Aaron Demerson. “This continued growth underscores TWC’s unwavering commitment to developing collaborations and building partnerships with Texas employers across the state.”

The Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) maintained the lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs at a seasonally adjusted 2.8 percent in August, followed by Amarillo at 3.6 percent, College Station-Bryan at 3.8 percent and Odessa at 3.8 percent. Abilene, Austin-Round Rock and Lubbock were all at 3.9 percent through August. Midland MSA’s civilian workforce grew the fastest in the state at 5.5 percent in August. The civilian workforce in Dallas-Fort Worth grew 4.6 percent, expanding by more than 195,000 people and accounting for 40 percent of all MSA growth for the year.

“We continue to strengthen Texas’ civilian workforce through career advancement through apprenticeships, internships and second-chance employment,” said TWC Commissioner Alberto Treviño III, representing Labor. “TWC promotes economic growth through services such as quality child care and early learning, technical training, vocational rehabilitation and job search resources.”

Employment estimates published by TWC are produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the US Department of Labor. ^*All estimates are subject to review. To access this and other employment data, visit TexasLMI.com.

Texas labor market information for September is scheduled to be released on Friday, October 20, 2023 at 9:00 AM (CDT).