Date: March 13, 2020
Media Contact: Cisco Gamez
Phone: 512-463-8556
AUSTIN ⎯ Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 3.5 percent in January. The Texas economy added 279,900 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs over the year, including 19,500 jobs added over the month for January. Annual employment growth for Texas was 2.2 percent in January, marking 117 consecutive months of annual growth.
“In January the Texas unemployment rate was unchanged and remains lower than the National unemployment rate of 3.6 percent,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “The Texas Workforce Commission is committed to providing career opportunities to all Texans.”
Industries adding jobs in January included Leisure and Hospitality, which added 8,100 jobs; Government, which added 4,800 jobs; and Education and Health Services, which added 4,400 positions.
“The data shows that Texans are eager to learn new skills to advance their careers,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “From apprenticeships to business leaders, Texas has a dedicated workforce that continues to make this the best workforce in the world.”
The 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 Amarillo MSA and Austin-Round Rock MSA, which tied for the second lowest with a rate of 2.7 percent. The College Station-Bryan MSA had the third lowest rate of 2.9 percent for January.
“Private sector employers added 14,700 jobs added in January,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “This growth is a reflection of the state’s ability to continue retaining and attracting new companies and job seekers.”
Audio downloads with comments from Commissioner Alvarez 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 Texaslmi.com.
The Texas Labor Market & Career Information Data for February is scheduled to be released on Friday, March 27, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. (CDT).
| January 2020 | December 2019 | January 2019 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | |
| United States | 163,497.0 | 156,994.0 | 6,504.0 | 4.0 | 164,007.0 | 158,504.0 | 5,503.0 | 3.4 | 162,104.0 | 154,964.0 | 7,140.0 | 4.4 |
| Texas | 14,187.4 | 13,655.0 | 532.5 | 3.8 | 14,192.3 | 13,722.1 | 470.1 | 3.3 | 13,938.1 | 13,365.7 | 572.3 | 4.1 |
| Abilene | 79.7 | 77.2 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 79.5 | 77.3 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 77.3 | 74.7 | 2.7 | 3.5 |
| Amarillo | 132.8 | 129.2 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 132.9 | 129.8 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 130.4 | 126.5 | 3.9 | 3.0 |
| Austin-Round Rock | 1,254.5 | 1,220.0 | 34.5 | 2.7 | 1,255.2 | 1,225.0 | 30.2 | 2.4 | 1,221.2 | 1,181.9 | 39.2 | 3.2 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | 175.3 | 164.7 | 10.6 | 6.0 | 174.1 | 164.5 | 9.6 | 5.5 | 174.7 | 163.4 | 11.2 | 6.4 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | 169.0 | 158.3 | 10.7 | 6.3 | 167.8 | 158.3 | 9.5 | 5.7 | 166.9 | 156.1 | 10.8 | 6.5 |
| College Station-Bryan | 135.7 | 131.7 | 4.0 | 2.9 | 137.1 | 133.7 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 132.4 | 128.2 | 4.2 | 3.2 |
| Corpus Christi | 206.5 | 196.6 | 9.9 | 4.8 | 207.0 | 198.2 | 8.8 | 4.3 | 206.7 | 196.4 | 10.3 | 5.0 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 4,023.9 | 3,891.1 | 132.8 | 3.3 | 4,031.6 | 3,913.8 | 117.8 | 2.9 | 3,932.0 | 3,780.2 | 151.8 | 3.9 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving MD | 2,713.5 | 2,624.5 | 89.0 | 3.3 | 2,719.7 | 2,640.4 | 79.3 | 2.9 | 2,645.3 | 2,544.9 | 100.4 | 3.8 |
| Fort Worth-Arlington MD | 1,310.3 | 1,266.6 | 43.7 | 3.3 | 1,311.9 | 1,273.5 | 38.5 | 2.9 | 1,286.7 | 1,235.2 | 51.4 | 4.0 |
| El Paso | 368.7 | 353.9 | 14.8 | 4.0 | 367.6 | 354.5 | 13.1 | 3.6 | 363.6 | 347.6 | 16.1 | 4.4 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 3,460.6 | 3,319.0 | 141.5 | 4.1 | 3,462.6 | 3,336.6 | 126.0 | 3.6 | 3,411.6 | 3,261.4 | 150.3 | 4.4 |
| Killeen-Temple | 179.4 | 172.5 | 6.9 | 3.8 | 179.0 | 172.8 | 6.1 | 3.4 | 176.5 | 168.5 | 8.0 | 4.5 |
| Laredo | 119.7 | 114.8 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 119.3 | 115.1 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 118.2 | 113.2 | 5.0 | 4.2 |
| Longview | 99.0 | 94.8 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 99.2 | 95.7 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 98.8 | 94.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Lubbock | 163.1 | 158.3 | 4.8 | 2.9 | 163.6 | 159.6 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 162.0 | 156.9 | 5.1 | 3.1 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | 362.3 | 334.7 | 27.6 | 7.6 | 361.0 | 335.7 | 25.3 | 7.0 | 354.2 | 328.0 | 26.1 | 7.4 |
| Midland | 110.8 | 108.2 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 110.8 | 108.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 109.2 | 106.7 | 2.5 | 2.3 |
| Odessa | 88.0 | 85.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 88.1 | 85.6 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 88.1 | 85.7 | 2.4 | 2.7 |
| San Angelo | 55.3 | 53.5 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 55.2 | 53.6 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 55.4 | 53.5 | 1.9 | 3.4 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | 1,219.8 | 1,180.5 | 39.3 | 3.2 | 1,218.6 | 1,184.4 | 34.2 | 2.8 | 1,192.8 | 1,150.3 | 42.5 | 3.6 |
| Sherman-Denison | 63.8 | 61.6 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 64.2 | 62.4 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 63.5 | 61.3 | 2.2 | 3.4 |
| Texarkana | 65.3 | 62.5 | 2.8 | 4.4 | 65.3 | 62.8 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 64.7 | 61.3 | 3.5 | 5.4 |
| Tyler | 106.8 | 102.9 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 108.0 | 104.6 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 106.1 | 102.0 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
| Victoria | 46.0 | 44.2 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 46.2 | 44.6 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 46.4 | 44.6 | 1.8 | 3.9 |
| Waco | 126.8 | 122.4 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 126.6 | 122.8 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 125.4 | 120.7 | 4.7 | 3.8 |
| Wichita Falls | 65.6 | 63.4 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 65.5 | 63.6 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 65.6 | 63.2 | 2.4 | 3.7 |
| INDUSTRY TITLE | Jan 2020* | Dec 2019 | Jan 2019 | Dec '19 to Jan '20 | Jan '19 to Jan '20 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Change | Percent Change | Absolute Change | Percent Change | ||||
| Total Nonagricultural | 12,964,500 | 12,945,000 | 12,684,600 | 19,500 | 0.2 | 279,900 | 2.2 |
| Total Private | 10,977,500 | 10,962,800 | 10,728,200 | 14,700 | 0.1 | 249,300 | 2.3 |
| Goods Producing | 1,937,100 | 1,941,300 | 1,916,900 | -4,200 | -0.2 | 20,200 | 1.1 |
| Mining and Logging | 234,500 | 236,200 | 256,200 | -1,700 | -0.7 | -21,700 | -8.5 |
| Construction | 795,100 | 795,000 | 760,200 | 100 | 0.0 | 34,900 | 4.6 |
| Manufacturing | 907,500 | 910,100 | 900,500 | -2,600 | -0.3 | 7,000 | 0.8 |
| Service Providing | 11,027,400 | 11,003,700 | 10,767,700 | 23,700 | 0.2 | 259,700 | 2.4 |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 2,548,300 | 2,547,600 | 2,505,200 | 700 | 0.0 | 43,100 | 1.7 |
| Information | 210,400 | 209,100 | 206,400 | 1,300 | 0.6 | 4,000 | 1.9 |
| Financial Activities | 814,300 | 812,100 | 789,500 | 2,200 | 0.3 | 24,800 | 3.1 |
| Professional and Business Services | 1,820,500 | 1,820,900 | 1,769,600 | -400 | 0.0 | 50,900 | 2.9 |
| Education and Health Services | 1,771,400 | 1,767,000 | 1,720,100 | 4,400 | 0.2 | 51,300 | 3.0 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 1,419,100 | 1,411,000 | 1,378,500 | 8,100 | 0.6 | 40,600 | 2.9 |
| Other Services | 456,400 | 453,800 | 442,000 | 2,600 | 0.6 | 14,400 | 3.3 |
| Government | 1,987,000 | 1,982,200 | 1,956,400 | 4,800 | 0.2 | 30,600 | 1.6 |
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The Texas Workforce Commission is a state agency dedicated to helping Texas employers, workers and communities prosper economically. For details on TWC and the services it offers in coordination with its network of local workforce development boards, call 512-463-8942 or visit www.texasworkforce.org. To receive notifications about TWC programs and services subscribe to our email updates.
