(The Center Square) – Texas’ April jobs report saw losses in the civilian sector, but its annual job growth rate saw gains.
Texas also again outpaced the national job growth rate in April as it has nearly every month for several years.
Texas reported 14,394,300 nonfarm jobs after adding 300 positions in April, according to the latest Texas Workforce Commission data. Over the year, 82,400 jobs were added.
Texas’ annual nonfarm growth rate of 0.6%, again outpaced the national growth rate by 0.4%, slightly less than it did in March. In March, the difference was 0.6%, according to data, The Center Square reported.
Texas’ civilian labor force totaled 15,894,800 after losing 21,800 workers over the month.
Over the year, its civilian labor force added 49,200 workers, according to the data. The civilian labor force drop is a new pattern in a state that has regularly broken its own jobs records nearly every month for years, The Center Square has reported. In March, Texas also reported civilian job losses of 25,200 over the month.
Despite this, TWC Chairman Joe Esparza said, “Texas continues to demonstrate economic resilience by outpacing the national growth rate and reaching nearly 14.4 million jobs.”
This is partially due to the state’s support for initiatives like the Texas Jobs Council, which is “gathering the insights necessary to keep our workforce competitive, so Texas employers can continue to lead their industries and drive our state’s growth,” he said.
The employment sectors reporting the largest growth in April include the Professional and Business Services industry, which saw the largest private sector over-the-month increase, adding 4,700 jobs. Construction added 3,500 jobs over the month. The Trade, Transportation and Utilities category added 1,300. The construction industry again posted the highest annual growth rate of any major industry for the 21st consecutive month, of 2.1% in April.
“The growth we see across industries like construction and professional services translates to more high-demand opportunities for working Texans,” TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Alberto Treviño III said. “TWC is committed to helping all Texans access these opportunities, which is why we continue to prioritize support for foster youth transitioning into the workforce and champion Second Chance initiatives that help people find paths to stable, successful careers.”
TWC Commissioner Representing the Public Brent Connett also said the TWC is “enabling more Texans to contribute to the overall strength of our economy through services like Vocational Rehabilitation and essential child care support for working families.”
Texas’ seasonally non-adjusted unemployment rate was 4%, the same as the national unemployment rate. Both were down by 4.1% and 4.3%, respectively, posted in March.
The same metropolitan statistical areas reported the lowest and highest unemployment rates as in previous months with one exception.
The Midland MSA reported the lowest not seasonally adjusted rate of 2.9% in April, down from 3% in March. It was followed by the Abilene MSA’s 3% and College Station-Bryan and San Angelo MSAs’ 3.1%, which were also down from March.
Eagle Pass, which has historically reported the highest unemployment rate in the state in the last few months, was still high but dropped to 8.5%. Brownsville-Harlingen’s 6.2% and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission’s 5.7% were the next highest rates.
Beaumont-Port Arthur shot up to 9.5%, nearly double what it was in March. The data reflects losses in the oil and gas industry in Beaumont and Port Arthur, where major refineries are located.
Unemployment rates dropped statewide for the first time in months in March. This continued in April with 16 of Texas’ 28 MSAs falling below 4%.
