TEXAS – During September 2023, Texas border cities such as El Paso, Brownsville and Laredo showed a slight increase in their annualized unemployment rate, with the exception of McAllen, where the numbers registered a decrease, according to numbers presented by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
The Texas labor market reached new all-time highs in September in terms of job counts, number of people employed and civilian labor force. Total nonfarm employment increased by 61,400 openings over the month to reach a 24th consecutive series high at 14,049,400 openings and a 31st consecutive month of growth.
Since September 2022, employment in the state grew by 435,800 jobs as Texas’ annual growth rate of 3.2% outpaced the nation’s by 1.1 percentage points.
The seasonally adjusted number of employed persons increased by 26,900 over the month, raising the new Texas record to 14,515,800. The seasonally adjusted civilian labor force in the state also reached a new record of 15,141,300 after increasing by 29,500 over the month. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 4.1% in September.
“The Texas economy continues to grow, surpassing 14 million jobs for the first time,” said Bryan Daniel, Chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). “TWC supports this continued job growth through several programs designed to ensure Texas’ workforce continues to meet the needs of Texas employers.”
Employment in nine of eleven major industries grew over the month. Trade, Transportation and Utilities experienced significant growth during the month with 15,200 jobs added, while the Professional and Business Services industry gained 14,900 openings in September. Another 13,800 job openings were added in Private Education and Health Services, and 8,000 in Manufacturing.
The Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) maintained the lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs, with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 2.5% in September, followed by Amarillo at 3.2%, College Station-Bryan at 3.2%, and Lubbock at 3.3%. Behind, Odessa posted a 3.4% unemployment rate in September, while Abilene maintained a 3.5% rate. Austin-Round Rock and San Angelo matched the U.S. unemployment rate of 3.6%.
In addition, the civilian labor force in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metropolitan area increased by 3,800 in September and employment increased by nearly 10,000 jobs over the month. Employment in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land area grew by 14,300 jobs in September, while the MSA’s unemployment rate was half a percentage point lower than the previous month.
El Paso, recorded a non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate last September of 4.7, remaining above the 4.1 recorded in the same month in 2022. Brownsville had a rate of 5.3, up from 5.2 a year earlier.
Laredo registered an unemployment rate of 4.0 in September 2023, up from 3.6 the previous year; while McAllen, attained a 5.8 at the end of the ninth month, down from 6.0 in September 2022.
According to the figures presented, El Paso closed September with a total of 17,700 unemployed people, contrasting with the 15,300 that were registered a year ago; while 359,800 citizens were working this year. In Brownsville, 9,600 people ended September without work, 400 more than in 2022, while 172,300 were employed.
The city of Laredo reported 4,700 unemployed, compared to 4,200 in September 2022, while 115,100 people were working in September 2023; in McAllen, 22,200 citizens were looking for work, while 379,400 people were employed at the end of September 2023.
