Texas adds nearly 78,000 jobs in February, unemployment rate still lags
(The Center Square) – Texas added 77,800 total nonagricultural jobs in February, making gains in 21 of the past 22 months, according to new data from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Its unemployment rate of 4.7% remains above the national average of 3.8 percent.
From February 2021 to February 2022, Texas added 832,000 jobs.
Of the jobs report, Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted, “BOOM! Texas AGAIN breaks all previous records for total jobs! Now at 13,184,100 as employers add 77,800 jobs in Feb. With job gains in 21 of the last 22 months, the unemployment rate drops to 4.7% even as our workforce – the best in America – continues to grow!”
Abbott added that “businesses are investing in the Lone Star State at a record pace because we’ve built a framework that allows free enterprise to flourish and hardworking Texans to prosper.”
“February marks the fourth consecutive month of record-setting employment levels in Texas,” TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel said. “This continued growth highlights the strength of our Texas economy and signals significant opportunities for Texans in the Lone Star State.”
Key highlights, TWC noted, were in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, which gained 18,200 jobs over the month; Leisure and Hospitality, which added 17,400; and Professional and Business Services, which added 16,800 jobs.
However, Texas’ unemployment rate remains above the national average. Metro areas with high unemployment rates are McAllen-Edinburgh-Mission of 8.4%; Beaumont-Port Arthur of 8%; Brownsville-Harlingen of 7.3%; and Odessa of 6%.
Roughly 10 metro areas have unemployment rates above 4%; seven have unemployment in the 5% to 6% range.
Only three had unemployment rates below the national rate. Austin-Round Rock has the lowest unemployment rate of 3.3%, followed by Amarillo’s 3.4%, and College Station-Bryan’s 3.5% .
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, with more than 3.3 million people employed, has an unemployment rate of 5.3%. Dallas-Fort-Worth-Arlington and Fort Worth-Arlington have a combined roughly 6.7 million employed and unemployment rates of 4% and 4.2%, respectively.
The employment estimates released by TWC were produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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