AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas economy added 71,500 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in October. Annual employment growth for Texas was 2.6 percent in October, marking 90 consecutive months of annual growth. Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent, setting a record for the lowest unemployment rate recorded in four decades.
“By adding an impressive 71,500 jobs over the past month and 316,100 jobs over the year, Texas employers have once again demonstrated their unmatched innovation and ability to achieve success in our country’s premier place to do business,” said TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar. “This economy provides valuable opportunities for the highly skilled Texas workforce to also achieve success.”
Leisure and Hospitality employment rebounded by adding 34,700 jobs in October after experiencing its largest monthly decline in September due to hurricane-affected business closures. Over the year, this industry has gained 41,000 jobs. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities employment grew by 10,300 jobs, and Professional and Business Services expanded by 6,300 jobs.
“Private-sector employers added 64,100 jobs in October and have accounted for the addition of 279,300 positions in Texas over the past year as the state has continued to expand its employment,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Ruth R. Hughs. “I invite Texas employers to participate in the We Hire Vets recognition program to recognize them for their commitment to hiring our nation’s heroes.”
The Amarillo and Midland Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) recorded the month’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 2.4 percent, followed by the College Station-Bryan MSA with a rate of 2.5 percent. The Austin-Round Rock and Lubbock MSAs registered a rate of 2.6 percent for October.
“Several Goods Producing industries are showing strength in Texas, including Construction, which expanded by 4,500 jobs in October” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “In recognition of Texas Apprenticeship Week this week, I encourage our labor force to tap into TWC’s apprenticeship training program that can help prepare them for a well-paying career.”
Audio downloads with comments from Commissioner Hughs on the latest labor market data are available on the TWC website 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 November is scheduled to be released on Friday, December 22, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. (CDT).
| Civilian Labor Force Estimates for Texas Metropolitan Statistical Areas Not Seasonally Adjusted (In Thousands) | ||||||||||||
| October 2017 | September 2017 | October 2016 | ||||||||||
| C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | |
| United States | 160,465.0 | 154,223.0 | 6,242.0 | 3.9 | 161,049.0 | 154,494.0 | 6,556.0 | 4.1 | 159,783.0 | 152,335.0 | 7,447.0 | 4.7 |
| Texas | 13,392.3 | 12,922.1 | 470.2 | 3.5 | 13,498.7 | 12,954.8 | 543.9 | 4.0 | 13,338.7 | 12,725.9 | 612.9 | 4.6 |
| Abilene | 74.1 | 71.8 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 74.6 | 72.0 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 75.0 | 72.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Amarillo | 131.4 | 128.3 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 131.9 | 128.3 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 131.3 | 127.0 | 4.3 | 3.3 |
| Austin-Round Rock | 1,133.5 | 1,104.3 | 29.3 | 2.6 | 1,141.4 | 1,108.2 | 33.2 | 2.9 | 1,123.1 | 1,085.8 | 37.3 | 3.3 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | 171.3 | 160.5 | 10.8 | 6.3 | 174.2 | 159.9 | 14.3 | 8.2 | 173.8 | 162.3 | 11.6 | 6.7 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | 163.3 | 154.4 | 8.9 | 5.5 | 165.8 | 155.2 | 10.6 | 6.4 | 165.4 | 154.0 | 11.4 | 6.9 |
| College Station-Bryan | 131.3 | 128.0 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 130.4 | 126.6 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 128.6 | 124.1 | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Corpus Christi | 208.9 | 198.2 | 10.6 | 5.1 | 210.3 | 197.8 | 12.5 | 5.9 | 205.3 | 192.9 | 12.4 | 6.1 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 3,768.4 | 3,655.3 | 113.1 | 3.0 | 3,804.8 | 3,676.9 | 127.9 | 3.4 | 3,720.3 | 3,577.8 | 142.5 | 3.8 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving MD | 2,543.3 | 2,467.1 | 76.2 | 3.0 | 2,566.5 | 2,480.6 | 85.9 | 3.3 | 2,508.8 | 2,414.3 | 94.5 | 3.8 |
| Fort Worth-Arlington MD | 1,225.2 | 1,188.2 | 36.9 | 3.0 | 1,238.3 | 1,196.4 | 41.9 | 3.4 | 1,211.5 | 1,163.5 | 48.0 | 4.0 |
| El Paso | 355.9 | 342.4 | 13.5 | 3.8 | 360.3 | 345.1 | 15.2 | 4.2 | 354.0 | 336.4 | 17.6 | 5.0 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 3,290.4 | 3,155.1 | 135.3 | 4.1 | 3,311.0 | 3,151.1 | 159.9 | 4.8 | 3,293.8 | 3,118.3 | 175.5 | 5.3 |
| Killeen-Temple | 178.6 | 172.5 | 6.1 | 3.4 | 179.8 | 172.9 | 6.8 | 3.8 | 176.5 | 168.7 | 7.9 | 4.4 |
| Laredo | 113.4 | 109.7 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 114.6 | 110.4 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 114.3 | 109.0 | 5.3 | 4.6 |
| Longview | 96.9 | 93.0 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 97.6 | 93.1 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 98.3 | 92.2 | 6.1 | 6.2 |
| Lubbock | 158.8 | 154.7 | 4.1 | 2.6 | 159.9 | 155.2 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 158.6 | 153.3 | 5.3 | 3.3 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | 332.6 | 313.8 | 18.8 | 5.7 | 335.7 | 312.8 | 22.9 | 6.8 | 332.7 | 309.0 | 23.7 | 7.1 |
| Midland | 86.2 | 84.2 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 87.5 | 85.1 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 86.4 | 82.7 | 3.7 | 4.3 |
| Odessa | 74.3 | 71.9 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 75.0 | 72.2 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 75.3 | 70.6 | 4.7 | 6.2 |
| San Angelo | 53.9 | 52.3 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 53.8 | 52.0 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 54.5 | 52.1 | 2.4 | 4.5 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | 1,157.8 | 1,124.7 | 33.1 | 2.9 | 1,168.8 | 1,131.2 | 37.6 | 3.2 | 1,141.5 | 1,098.1 | 43.4 | 3.8 |
| Sherman-Denison | 60.8 | 59.0 | 1.7 | 2.9 | 61.6 | 59.6 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 60.9 | 58.6 | 2.3 | 3.8 |
| Texarkana | 64.7 | 62.2 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 64.9 | 62.2 | 2.7 | 4.2 | 65.2 | 62.2 | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| Tyler | 107.6 | 103.4 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 107.6 | 103.6 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 106.8 | 102.0 | 4.9 | 4.5 |
| Victoria | 46.5 | 44.6 | 1.9 | 4.0 | 47.0 | 44.8 | 2.2 | 4.6 | 47.3 | 44.7 | 2.6 | 5.5 |
| Waco | 120.6 | 116.5 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 122.4 | 117.8 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 122.4 | 117.4 | 4.9 | 4.0 |
| Wichita Falls | 63.1 | 61.2 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 63.3 | 61.2 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 63.5 | 60.8 | 2.7 | 4.3 |
| Texas Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment Seasonally Adjusted | ||||||||
| INDUSTRY TITLE | Oct 2017* | Sep 2017 | Oct 2016 | Sep ’17 to Oct ’17 | Oct ’16 to Oct ’17 | |||
| Absolute Change | Percent Change | Absolute Change | Percent Change | |||||
| Total Nonagricultural | 12,394,900 | 12,323,400 | 12,078,800 | 71,500 | 0.6 | 316,100 | 2.6 | |
| Total Private | 10,423,900 | 10,359,800 | 10,144,600 | 64,100 | 0.6 | 279,300 | 2.8 | |
| Goods Producing | 1,847,900 | 1,841,100 | 1,758,500 | 6,800 | 0.4 | 89,400 | 5.1 | |
| Mining and Logging | 250,700 | 247,500 | 214,300 | 3,200 | 1.3 | 36,400 | 17.0 | |
| Construction | 720,400 | 715,900 | 703,200 | 4,500 | 0.6 | 17,200 | 2.4 | |
| Manufacturing | 876,800 | 877,700 | 841,000 | -900 | -0.1 | 35,800 | 4.3 | |
| Service Providing | 10,547,000 | 10,482,300 | 10,320,300 | 64,700 | 0.6 | 226,700 | 2.2 | |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 2,458,500 | 2,448,200 | 2,428,500 | 10,300 | 0.4 | 30,000 | 1.2 | |
| Information | 189,900 | 191,200 | 200,600 | -1,300 | -0.7 | -10,700 | -5.3 | |
| Financial Activities | 765,200 | 762,200 | 738,300 | 3,000 | 0.4 | 26,900 | 3.6 | |
| Professional and Business Services | 1,685,900 | 1,679,600 | 1,635,900 | 6,300 | 0.4 | 50,000 | 3.1 | |
| Education and Health Services | 1,682,500 | 1,680,500 | 1,649,000 | 2,000 | 0.1 | 33,500 | 2.0 | |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 1,345,600 | 1,310,900 | 1,304,600 | 34,700 | 2.6 | 41,000 | 3.1 | |
| Other Services | 448,400 | 446,100 | 429,200 | 2,300 | 0.5 | 19,200 | 4.5 | |
| Government | 1,971,000 | 1,963,600 | 1,934,200 | 7,400 | 0.4 | 36,800 | 1.9 | |