(The Center Square) – Texas again broke its previous month’s jobs record in August and marked 30 consecutive months of employment growth.
Texas also again surpassed the national job growth rate in August, as it has every month over the last 12 months.
Texas broke its previous record broken in July, which broke its record in June, and records broken in previous months, for having the greatest number of total jobs, greatest number of Texans employed and largest total labor force size in Texas history.
“Texas continues to grow jobs at a faster rate than the nation thanks to our welcoming business climate, our hardworking entrepreneurs, and the strength of our young, skilled, diverse, and growing workforce,” Gov. Greg Abbott said. “In Texas, we want businesses to succeed. When businesses succeed, Texans succeed. We see the impact of that pro-growth model month after month. More Texans are working than ever before, and we continue to break all previous records for total jobs and total labor force. The significant investments we are making today in education, innovation, infrastructure, and workforce development will build an even stronger Texas of tomorrow.”
August’s continued growth enabled Texas to “once again set new records for the number of jobs, number of people employed, and size of the civilian labor force,” the Texas Workforce Commission reported. “Total nonfarm employment increased by 16,700 positions over the month to reach a 23rd consecutive series-high level with 13,979,100 jobs and a 30th consecutive month of growth.”
Since August 2022, total Texas employment grew by 402,000 jobs and continued to outpace the national annual employment growth rate, it said.
The number of people employed in Texas grew by 24,300 over the month, reaching another new record high of 14,489,000, the TWC reported. Texas’s seasonally adjusted civilian labor force grew over the month by another 33,500, raising the total to 15,111,900, “marking another record high for the state,” it said.
The industries reporting the most growth last month are Leisure and Hospitality with 9,100 new jobs added; Other Services 5,000 new job added; Financial Activities with 3,300 new jobs added.
Over the year, the job market grew faster in Texas than in the U.S. industries of Mining and Logging, Financial Activities, and Other Services, the TWC said. They outpaced national growth rates by 3.9%, 3%, and 2.7% faster, respectively.
“Our world-class Texas workforce has grown by more than 400,000 jobs over the last year, thanks largely to the energizing job creation by our private-sector employers,” TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson said. “This continued growth highlights TWC’s unwavering commitment to fostering collaboration and building partnerships with Texas employers across the state.”
Texas’ seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate of 4.1% remained higher than the national unemployment rate of 3.9%. The Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area reported the lowest unemployment rate of 2.8% last month, followed by Amarillo’s 3.6%, College Station-Bryan’s 3.8%, and Odessa’s 3.8%.
MSAs reporting the highest unemployment rate last month were McAllen-Edinburgh-Mission’s 6.8%, Beaumont-Port Arthur’s 6.7%, and Brownsville-Harlingen’s 6%.
The Midland MSA civilian labor force also grew the fastest statewide, the TWC notes, at 5.5% last month. The civilian labor force in Dallas-Fort Worth also grew by 4.6%, adding over 195,000 workers who represent 40% of all MSA growth over-the-year, it said.
“We continue to strengthen the Texas civilian labor force with career pathways through apprenticeship, internship and second chance hiring,” TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Alberto Treviño III said. “TWC empowers economic growth with services such as quality childcare and early learning, technical training, vocational rehabilitation, and job finding resources.”
