Texas Economy Adds 9,500 Jobs in March
AUSTIN — The Texas economy expanded in March with the addition of 9,500 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs. Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.0 percent in March, up slightly from 4.9 percent in February.
“Texas employers continue to boost the diverse Texas economy by adding jobs, including 249,000 over the year,” said Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chairman Andres Alcantar. “Texans continue to have a range of workforce opportunities created by our innovative Texas employers, and I encourage job seekers and students to explore these opportunities with local workforce boards around the state.”
Employment in the Professional and Business Services industry recorded the largest private-industry gain over the month with 13,200 jobs added. Mining and Logging employment grew by 4,800 jobs in March and Construction employment expanded by 4,000 jobs.
“Texas employers continue to keep our state competitive with an overall private-sector annual job growth of 210,500 with 7,000 jobs added in March, said TWC Commissioner Representing Employer Ruth R. Hughs. “When Texas employers prosper, Texans prosper, and we want to ensure they have the resources they need to start, grow and thrive their businesses right here at home.”
The Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) recorded the month’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 3.5 percent, followed by the College Station-Bryan and Austin-Round Rock MSAs with a rate of 3.6 percent. The Lubbock and Midland MSAs each registered a rate of 4.0 percent for March.
“Texas workers have much to offer and there are resources available to help them find the perfect occupational fit, I encourage all job seekers to contact their local Workforce Solutions office for assistance with job training and placement,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez.
An audio download with comments from Chairman Alcantar on the latest labor market data is available on the TWC 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.
The Texas Labor Market & Career Information Data for April is scheduled to be released on Friday, May 19, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. (CDT).
| March 2017 | February 2017 | March 2016 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.L.F | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | |
| United States | 159,912.0 | 152,628.0 | 7,284.0 | 4.6 | 159,482.0 | 151,594.0 | 7,887.0 | 4.9 | 158,854.0 | 150,738.0 | 8,116.0 | 5.1 |
| Texas | 13,513.7 | 12,838.1 | 675.6 | 5.0 | 13,471.3 | 12,777.8 | 693.5 | 5.1 | 13,239.7 | 12,648.9 | 590.8 | 4.5 |
| Abilene | 75.0 | 71.9 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 75.0 | 71.7 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 74.6 | 71.7 | 2.9 | 3.9 |
| Amarillo | 133.7 | 129.0 | 4.7 | 3.5 | 133.3 | 128.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 131.7 | 127.8 | 3.9 | 3.0 |
| Austin-Round Rock | 1,137.3 | 1,096.1 | 41.3 | 3.6 | 1,128.9 | 1,086.9 | 42.0 | 3.7 | 1,102.4 | 1,067.9 | 34.4 | 3.1 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | 175.1 | 161.3 | 13.8 | 7.9 | 176.1 | 161.9 | 14.3 | 8.1 | 174.5 | 163.2 | 11.3 | 6.5 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | 169.4 | 156.0 | 13.4 | 7.9 | 168.8 | 154.8 | 14.0 | 8.3 | 165.9 | 154.3 | 11.6 | 7.0 |
| College Station-Bryan | 129.6 | 124.9 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 129.4 | 124.5 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 126.7 | 122.4 | 4.3 | 3.4 |
| Corpus Christi | 209.9 | 196.1 | 13.8 | 6.6 | 208.6 | 194.4 | 14.2 | 6.8 | 206.8 | 194.9 | 11.9 | 5.8 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 3,777.3 | 3,616.0 | 161.3 | 4.3 | 3,767.7 | 3,604.7 | 163.0 | 4.3 | 3,645.9 | 3,507.0 | 138.9 | 3.8 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving MD | 2,549.4 | 2,441.7 | 107.7 | 4.2 | 2,544.8 | 2,435.9 | 108.9 | 4.3 | 2,453.1 | 2,361.6 | 91.5 | 3.7 |
| Fort Worth-Arlington MD | 1,227.9 | 1,174.3 | 53.6 | 4.4 | 1,222.9 | 1,168.8 | 54.1 | 4.4 | 1,192.8 | 1,145.3 | 47.4 | 4.0 |
| El Paso | 358.6 | 339.5 | 19.1 | 5.3 | 359.3 | 339.6 | 19.7 | 5.5 | 348.3 | 331.5 | 16.8 | 4.8 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 3,327.9 | 3,137.8 | 190.0 | 5.7 | 3,322.3 | 3,125.7 | 196.6 | 5.9 | 3,281.9 | 3,120.2 | 161.7 | 4.9 |
| Killeen-Temple | 178.8 | 170.3 | 8.5 | 4.8 | 178.7 | 169.9 | 8.8 | 4.9 | 174.0 | 166.6 | 7.5 | 4.3 |
| Laredo | 115.1 | 109.3 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 115.1 | 109.1 | 6.0 | 5.2 | 112.9 | 107.3 | 5.6 | 4.9 |
| Longview | 98.3 | 92.1 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 98.3 | 91.7 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 99.2 | 93.8 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Lubbock | 161.2 | 154.8 | 6.4 | 4.0 | 160.3 | 154.4 | 5.9 | 3.7 | 158.5 | 153.3 | 5.2 | 3.3 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | 344.3 | 315.1 | 29.2 | 8.5 | 343.5 | 313.2 | 30.4 | 8.8 | 336.6 | 310.7 | 25.8 | 7.7 |
| Midland | 86.8 | 83.4 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 87.2 | 83.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 87.9 | 84.0 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
| Odessa | 75.2 | 71.0 | 4.2 | 5.6 | 75.7 | 71.3 | 4.4 | 5.8 | 76.6 | 71.7 | 4.9 | 6.4 |
| San Angelo | 54.6 | 52.1 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 54.4 | 51.8 | 2.5 | 4.6 | 55.5 | 53.0 | 2.5 | 4.5 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | 1,155.6 | 1,108.7 | 46.9 | 4.1 | 1,151.1 | 1,102.9 | 48.3 | 4.2 | 1,129.7 | 1,088.6 | 41.1 | 3.6 |
| Sherman-Denison | 61.8 | 59.3 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 61.7 | 59.1 | 2.6 | 4.3 | 60.3 | 57.9 | 2.4 | 3.9 |
| Texarkana | 65.3 | 62.1 | 3.2 | 4.8 | 64.9 | 61.5 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 65.2 | 62.4 | 2.8 | 4.3 |
| Tyler | 107.1 | 102.1 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 107.0 | 101.9 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 104.3 | 99.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| Victoria | 46.8 | 44.2 | 2.6 | 5.6 | 47.1 | 44.4 | 2.8 | 5.9 | 47.3 | 44.9 | 2.4 | 5.1 |
| Waco | 123.5 | 118.1 | 5.4 | 4.3 | 123.3 | 117.8 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 121.1 | 116.4 | 4.7 | 3.9 |
| Wichita Falls | 64.0 | 61.1 | 2.9 | 4.5 | 63.7 | 60.7 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 64.5 | 61.6 | 2.9 | 4.5 |
| INDUSTRY TITLE | Mar 2017* | Feb 2017 | Mar 2016 | Feb ’17 to Mar ’17 | Mar ’16 to Mar ’17 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Change | Percent Change | Absolute Change | Percent Change | ||||
| Total Nonagricultural | 12,215,100 | 12,205,600 | 11,966,100 | 9,500 | 0.1 | 249,000 | 2.1 |
| Total Private | 10,268,100 | 10,261,100 | 10,057,600 | 7,000 | 0.1 | 210,500 | 2.1 |
| Goods Producing | 1,799,400 | 1,788,900 | 1,780,300 | 10,500 | 0.6 | 19,100 | 1.1 |
| Mining and Logging | 227,100 | 222,300 | 231,400 | 4,800 | 2.2 | -4,300 | -1.9 |
| Construction | 714,300 | 710,300 | 695,400 | 4,000 | 0.6 | 18,900 | 2.7 |
| Manufacturing | 858,000 | 856,300 | 853,500 | 1,700 | 0.2 | 4,500 | 0.5 |
| Service Providing | 10,415,700 | 10,416,700 | 10,185,800 | -1,000 | 0.0 | 229,900 | 2.3 |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 2,441,700 | 2,447,200 | 2,414,200 | -5,500 | -0.2 | 27,500 | 1.1 |
| Information | 196,800 | 196,600 | 201,500 | 200 | 0.1 | -4,700 | -2.3 |
| Financial Activities | 745,700 | 742,900 | 726,800 | 2,800 | 0.4 | 18,900 | 2.6 |
| Professional and Business Services | 1,672,200 | 1,659,000 | 1,613,700 | 13,200 | 0.8 | 58,500 | 3.6 |
| Education and Health Services | 1,666,500 | 1,668,900 | 1,618,200 | -2,400 | -0.1 | 48,300 | 3.0 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 1,313,200 | 1,325,500 | 1,280,300 | -12,300 | -0.9 | 32,900 | 2.6 |
| Other Services | 432,600 | 432,100 | 422,600 | 500 | 0.1 | 10,000 | 2.4 |
| Government | 1,947,000 | 1,944,500 | 1,908,500 | 2,500 | 0.1 | 38,500 | 2.0 |