State unemployment rate remains at 4.3 percent in March
AUSTIN ⎯ Texas added an estimated 185,000 seasonally adjusted jobs over the past year. The state experienced job gains in two of the first three months of 2016. Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate maintained a 4.3 percent rate in March, matching the revised 4.3 percent rate in February and continuing to trend below the national average of 5.0 percent.
“The Texas unemployment rate continues to trend below the national average,” said Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar. “TWC remains focused on working with industry and education partners to create innovative solutions to our workforce needs around the state.”
Texas’ total nonfarm seasonally adjusted employment decreased by 12,000 jobs in March’s preliminary estimate. This comes on the heels of an impressive string of 11 straight months of job growth for the state.
“Texas’ economic growth over the year is due to the resilience of our employers who have added 152,300 private-sector jobs over the past year,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Ruth R. Hughs. “Texas employers continue to be leaders in job creation.”
Employment in the Leisure and Hospitality industry increased by 2,400 jobs in March, representing an increase for the 12th consecutive month. Over the year, this industry has gained 75,600 jobs. Trade, Transportation and Utilities employment rose for a fifth straight month with the addition of 800 positions in March. These gains were offset by losses in other industries including Mining and Logging which lost 7,500 jobs in March.
“We are continuing to see low unemployment rates, coupled with a growing labor force,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “Texas boasts a quality skilled labor force, and I encourage those looking for new opportunities to visit WorkInTexas.com.”
The Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) boasted the lowest not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the state at 3.0 percent followed by the Austin-Round Rock MSA with a rate of 3.1 percent and the Lubbock MSA with a rate of 3.3 for March.
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.
| Civilian Labor Force Estimates for Texas Metropolitan Statistical Areas
Not Seasonally Adjusted (In Thousands) |
||||||||||||
| March 2016 | February 2016 | March 2015 | ||||||||||
| C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | |
| United States | 158,854.0 | 150,738.0 | 8,116.0 | 5.1 | 158,279.0 | 150,060.0 | 8,219.0 | 5.2 | 156,318.0 | 147,635.0 | 8,682.0 | 5.6 |
| Texas | 13,273.9 | 12,682.5 | 591.5 | 4.5 | 13,222.0 | 12,655.5 | 566.5 | 4.3 | 13,013.6 | 12,456.3 | 557.4 | 4.3 |
| Abilene | 75.7 | 72.8 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 75.8 | 73.1 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 75.1 | 72.3 | 2.8 | 3.8 |
| Amarillo | 131.4 | 127.5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 130.7 | 126.8 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 129.7 | 125.9 | 3.8 | 2.9 |
| Austin-Round Rock | 1,096.5 | 1,062.3 | 34.2 | 3.1 | 1,091.9 | 1,058.6 | 33.3 | 3.1 | 1,057.9 | 1,023.1 | 34.8 | 3.3 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | 177.1 | 165.8 | 11.4 | 6.4 | 177.8 | 166.7 | 11.0 | 6.2 | 176.8 | 165.6 | 11.2 | 6.4 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | 168.3 | 156.6 | 11.7 | 6.9 | 166.0 | 154.7 | 11.3 | 6.8 | 164.8 | 153.1 | 11.8 | 7.1 |
| College Station-Bryan | 125.8 | 121.5 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 125.1 | 121.0 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 120.9 | 117.0 | 3.9 | 3.2 |
| Corpus Christi | 213.5 | 201.5 | 12.0 | 5.6 | 212.3 | 201.0 | 11.3 | 5.3 | 207.5 | 197.7 | 9.8 | 4.7 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 3,657.4 | 3,518.6 | 138.8 | 3.8 | 3,644.8 | 3,510.9 | 133.9 | 3.7 | 3,536.7 | 3,392.5 | 144.2 | 4.1 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving MD | 2,460.1 | 2,368.7 | 91.4 | 3.7 | 2,452.6 | 2,364.5 | 88.1 | 3.6 | 2,362.6 | 2,267.2 | 95.4 | 4.0 |
| Fort Worth-Arlington MD | 1,197.3 | 1,149.9 | 47.5 | 4.0 | 1,192.2 | 1,146.4 | 45.9 | 3.8 | 1,174.1 | 1,125.4 | 48.8 | 4.2 |
| El Paso | 350.8 | 333.8 | 17.0 | 4.8 | 350.4 | 334.0 | 16.4 | 4.7 | 342.4 | 324.7 | 17.7 | 5.2 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 3,276.3 | 3,115.0 | 161.2 | 4.9 | 3,268.5 | 3,115.5 | 153.0 | 4.7 | 3,244.7 | 3,106.4 | 138.3 | 4.3 |
| Killeen-Temple | 172.4 | 164.9 | 7.5 | 4.4 | 172.1 | 164.8 | 7.2 | 4.2 | 167.8 | 160.1 | 7.7 | 4.6 |
| Laredo | 114.4 | 108.8 | 5.6 | 4.9 | 114.2 | 108.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 111.8 | 106.7 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Longview | 101.3 | 95.7 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 101.4 | 96.1 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 101.5 | 97.1 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Lubbock | 157.3 | 152.1 | 5.2 | 3.3 | 156.1 | 151.0 | 5.1 | 3.2 | 153.2 | 148.2 | 5.0 | 3.3 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | 339.8 | 313.9 | 25.9 | 7.6 | 336.7 | 311.4 | 25.3 | 7.5 | 332.2 | 306.9 | 25.3 | 7.6 |
| Midland | 90.2 | 86.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 89.9 | 86.4 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 92.4 | 89.5 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Odessa | 79.5 | 74.6 | 4.9 | 6.1 | 79.0 | 74.6 | 4.4 | 5.6 | 81.5 | 78.3 | 3.2 | 3.9 |
| San Angelo | 56.5 | 54.0 | 2.5 | 4.4 | 56.0 | 53.7 | 2.4 | 4.3 | 55.6 | 53.4 | 2.2 | 3.9 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | 1,121.0 | 1,079.9 | 41.0 | 3.7 | 1,115.7 | 1,076.2 | 39.6 | 3.5 | 1,092.6 | 1,052.2 | 40.3 | 3.7 |
| Sherman-Denison | 61.5 | 59.2 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 61.2 | 59.0 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 59.8 | 57.5 | 2.4 | 3.9 |
| Texarkana | 65.7 | 62.9 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 65.6 | 62.6 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 64.2 | 60.9 | 3.3 | 5.1 |
| Tyler | 104.3 | 99.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 103.4 | 99.2 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 101.4 | 97.0 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Victoria | 50.0 | 47.6 | 2.4 | 4.8 | 49.7 | 47.5 | 2.2 | 4.4 | 49.5 | 47.6 | 1.9 | 3.8 |
| Waco | 120.4 | 115.6 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 120.0 | 115.5 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 118.0 | 113.3 | 4.7 | 4.0 |
| Wichita Falls | 65.1 | 62.2 | 2.9 | 4.5 | 64.8 | 62.0 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 64.9 | 62.2 | 2.7 | 4.1 |
| TEXAS NONAGRICULTURAL WAGE AND SALARY EMPLOYMENT
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED |
||||||||
| INDUSTRY TITLE | Mar 2016 | Feb 2016 | Mar 2015 | Feb ’16 to Mar ’16 | Mar ’15 to Mar ’16 | |||
| Absolute Change | Percent Change | Absolute Change | Percent Change | |||||
| Total Nonagricultural | 11,959,000 | 11,971,000 | 11,774,000 | -12,000 | -0.1 | 185,000 | 1.6 | |
| Total Private | 10,082,800 | 10,097,900 | 9,930,500 | -15,100 | -0.1 | 152,300 | 1.5 | |
| Goods Producing | 1,778,500 | 1,789,200 | 1,863,500 | -10,700 | -0.6 | -85,000 | -4.6 | |
| Mining and Logging | 237,000 | 244,500 | 294,900 | -7,500 | -3.1 | -57,900 | -19.6 | |
| Construction | 687,300 | 688,000 | 676,800 | -700 | -0.1 | 10,500 | 1.6 | |
| Manufacturing | 854,200 | 856,700 | 891,800 | -2,500 | -0.3 | -37,600 | -4.2 | |
| Service Providing | 10,180,500 | 10,181,800 | 9,910,500 | -1,300 | 0.0 | 270,000 | 2.7 | |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 2,424,700 | 2,423,900 | 2,374,500 | 800 | 0.0 | 50,200 | 2.1 | |
| Information | 199,700 | 201,300 | 200,100 | -1,600 | -0.8 | -400 | -0.2 | |
| Financial Activities | 731,200 | 731,700 | 714,200 | -500 | -0.1 | 17,000 | 2.4 | |
| Professional and Business Services | 1,609,400 | 1,615,400 | 1,582,800 | -6,000 | -0.4 | 26,600 | 1.7 | |
| Education and Health Services | 1,621,200 | 1,623,800 | 1,562,800 | -2,600 | -0.2 | 58,400 | 3.7 | |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 1,293,800 | 1,291,400 | 1,218,200 | 2,400 | 0.2 | 75,600 | 6.2 | |
| Other Services | 424,300 | 421,200 | 414,400 | 3,100 | 0.7 | 9,900 | 2.4 | |
| Government | 1,876,200 | 1,873,100 | 1,843,500 | 3,100 | 0.2 | 32,700 | 1.8 | |