(The Center Square ) – Texas again set new employment records last month for the number of Texans working and size of the Texas labor force. It also again outpaced the national job growth rate as it has every month for roughly five years.
Last month, Texas reached a new record high of having the largest labor force ever reported in state history of 15,850,100. June marked 60 of 62 months of job growth, according to Texas Workforce Commission data.
Over the year, Texas’ civilian labor force added 237,800 workers.
Texas also reached a new high for the greatest number of people working, including the self-employed, of 15,210,500.
Last month, 14,329,200 total nonfarm jobs were reported, decreasing by 1,900 positions over the month, the TWC said. Over the year, Texas added 198,300 jobs, more than any other state. Its annual nonfarm growth rate of 1.4% outpaced the national growth rate by 0.3 percentage points.
“Thanks to the strength of the Texas economy, more Texans are working than ever before,” Gov. Greg Abbott said. “While we pause to celebrate job gains over the year, we also recognize the strength of Texans throughout this [flood] disaster and the outpouring of support from our fellow Americans over the last two weeks. We stand with Texas communities as we work together to recover and rebuild.”
“The increase in the civilian labor force and the drop in the unemployment rate highlight continued strength in the Texas economy,” TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel said. “TWC provides a number of tools for both job seekers and employers as we continue to grow the Texas labor force.”
“TWC supports a business-friendly environment, which attracts employers to Texas, creates new career paths, and contributes to a more prosperous workforce,” TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza said. “Key sectors like Private Education and Health Services continue to add thousands of jobs and highlight the opportunities for Texas employers.”
The Private Education and Health Services industry had the largest over-the-month increase last month, adding 6,900 jobs. Leisure and Hospitality added 3,000 jobs; Information added 1,000. The Construction industry grew by 2.4% over the year, outperforming the industry’s growth rate nationally by 0.9 percentage points.
Texas’ non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.1% was lower than the national unemployment rate of 4.4%.
The Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) reported the lowest not seasonally adjusted rate of 3% in June, followed by Amarillo’s and San Angelo’s 3.1%. The MSAs with the highest unemployment rates were Eagle Pass at 9.6%, Brownsville-Harlingen at 7.4%, and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission at 6.4%.
Those impacted by flooding in the past two weeks in designated disaster areas are encouraged to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance by calling the TWC at 800-939-6631.
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The state has also published resources online to help those looking for work and to receive training.
“Through our strong partnerships and resources like WorkInTexas.com, targeted job fairs, and essential skills training, we’re helping Texans capitalize on opportunities and achieve their career goals,” TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Alberto Treviño III said.