Six Historic Months: Texas Maintains Record Low Unemployment Rate of 3.4 Percent in November 2019
Date: December 20, 2019
Media Contact: Cisco Gamez
Phone: 512-463-8556
Unemployment Rate Holds at 3.4 Percent as Economy Adds 37,500 Jobs
AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 3.4 percent in November 2019. This marks the sixth consecutive month of record low unemployment in the state starting in June 2019. It is the lowest unemployment rate since series tracking began in 1976.
“Six months with a 3.4 percent unemployment rate is a tribute to hard-working Texans statewide,” said TWC Chairman and Commissioner Representing the Public Bryan Daniel. “As 2019 comes to a close, we will continue to implement innovative solutions to enhance worker training and allow continued growth for businesses in the new year.”
Texas employers added 336,700 jobs over the year. Total nonfarm annual employment growth was at 2.7 percent in November and has held at or above 2.0 percent since February 2018.
“Texas added 35,200 private sector jobs over the last month, marking 115 months of consecutive growth for our great state,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “We’re putting people to work, including individuals with disabilities, transitioning foster youth and our military veterans. This is what Texas does best”.
Leading job growth in November was Education and Health Services with 10,200 jobs added, followed by the Trade, Transportation, and Utilities industry adding 8,000 jobs, and Manufacturing which added 6,300 jobs.
“Eight major industries added jobs in Texas over the last month,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “Texas employers are the backbone of the state’s ever-growing economy and TWC is dedicated to ensuring they have the support they need to grow.”
The Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) recorded November’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 2.1 percent, followed by the Amarillo and Austin-Round Rock MSAs each with an adjusted rate of 2.5 percent. The College Station-Bryan and Lubbock MSAs each recorded the third lowest rate at 2.6 percent.
Audio downloads with comments from Commissioner Demerson on the latest labor market data are available on the TWC webpage for recent press releases. 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 December is scheduled to be released on Friday, January 24, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. (CDT).
| November 2019 | October 2019 | November 2018 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | |
| United States | 164,386.0 | 158,945.0 | 5,441.0 | 3.3 | 164,576.0 | 159,067.0 | 5,510.0 | 3.3 | 162,665.0 | 157,015.0 | 5,650.0 | 3.5 |
| Texas | 14,265.6 | 13,788.5 | 477.0 | 3.3 | 14,190.8 | 13,723.1 | 467.7 | 3.3 | 13,961.9 | 13,476.0 | 486.0 | 3.5 |
| Abilene | 78.0 | 75.8 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 77.6 | 75.4 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 77.3 | 74.9 | 2.4 | 3.0 |
| Amarillo | 133.4 | 130.1 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 133.0 | 129.7 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 132.7 | 129.3 | 3.4 | 2.6 |
| Austin-Round Rock | 1,234.8 | 1,203.4 | 31.4 | 2.5 | 1,230.5 | 1,199.1 | 31.4 | 2.6 | 1,207.1 | 1,174.2 | 32.9 | 2.7 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | 177.9 | 168.7 | 9.2 | 5.2 | 178.2 | 169.3 | 8.8 | 5.0 | 176.8 | 167.7 | 9.2 | 5.2 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | 165.6 | 156.7 | 8.9 | 5.4 | 164.7 | 156.2 | 8.5 | 5.1 | 164.7 | 155.9 | 8.8 | 5.3 |
| College Station-Bryan | 139.2 | 135.6 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 138.8 | 135.2 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 136.4 | 132.8 | 3.6 | 2.6 |
| Corpus Christi | 210.6 | 202.1 | 8.5 | 4.0 | 209.9 | 201.7 | 8.2 | 3.9 | 209.0 | 200.1 | 8.9 | 4.3 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 4,061.7 | 3,938.4 | 123.3 | 3.0 | 4,030.4 | 3,906.6 | 123.8 | 3.1 | 3,948.4 | 3,821.8 | 126.6 | 3.2 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving MD | 2,751.1 | 2,668.2 | 82.9 | 3.0 | 2,732.1 | 2,649.6 | 82.5 | 3.0 | 2,665.5 | 2,579.9 | 85.6 | 3.2 |
| Fort Worth-Arlington MD | 1,310.6 | 1,270.2 | 40.4 | 3.1 | 1,298.3 | 1,256.9 | 41.4 | 3.2 | 1,282.9 | 1,241.9 | 41.0 | 3.2 |
| El Paso | 368.9 | 355.2 | 13.6 | 3.7 | 365.9 | 352.3 | 13.5 | 3.7 | 362.7 | 348.7 | 14.0 | 3.9 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 3,500.1 | 3,373.7 | 126.4 | 3.6 | 3,476.4 | 3,353.4 | 123.0 | 3.5 | 3,420.6 | 3,290.1 | 130.5 | 3.8 |
| Killeen-Temple | 181.6 | 175.2 | 6.4 | 3.5 | 180.1 | 173.8 | 6.3 | 3.5 | 177.5 | 170.7 | 6.8 | 3.9 |
| Laredo | 118.9 | 114.7 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 118.1 | 114.1 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 117.3 | 113.3 | 4.0 | 3.4 |
| Longview | 97.6 | 94.0 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 97.5 | 94.0 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 98.5 | 94.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| Lubbock | 165.7 | 161.4 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 165.3 | 160.9 | 4.4 | 2.6 | 163.4 | 158.9 | 4.5 | 2.7 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | 358.4 | 336.5 | 21.9 | 6.1 | 355.6 | 335.8 | 19.8 | 5.6 | 349.0 | 328.7 | 20.3 | 5.8 |
| Midland | 108.5 | 106.1 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 108.0 | 105.8 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 107.7 | 105.7 | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| Odessa | 87.9 | 85.3 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 87.7 | 85.4 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 86.9 | 84.9 | 2.0 | 2.4 |
| San Angelo | 56.3 | 54.6 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 56.2 | 54.6 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 56.1 | 54.4 | 1.7 | 3.0 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | 1,230.3 | 1,194.4 | 36.0 | 2.9 | 1,226.4 | 1,190.8 | 35.7 | 2.9 | 1,196.8 | 1,160.0 | 36.8 | 3.1 |
| Sherman-Denison | 65.2 | 63.3 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 64.9 | 63.0 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 64.3 | 62.4 | 1.9 | 3.0 |
| Texarkana | 65.2 | 62.6 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 65.0 | 62.4 | 2.6 | 4.0 | 65.4 | 62.3 | 3.1 | 4.7 |
| Tyler | 109.5 | 106.0 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 108.9 | 105.5 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 108.8 | 105.1 | 3.7 | 3.4 |
| Victoria | 46.7 | 45.0 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 46.3 | 44.8 | 1.5 | 3.3 | 47.1 | 45.4 | 1.6 | 3.4 |
| Waco | 127.3 | 123.4 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 126.5 | 122.6 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 126.0 | 121.9 | 4.1 | 3.3 |
| Wichita Falls | 66.2 | 64.3 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 65.9 | 64.0 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 66.1 | 64.0 | 2.1 | 3.1 |
| INDUSTRY TITLE | Nov 2019* | Oct 2019 | Nov 2018 | Oct '19 to Nov '19 | Nov '18 to Nov '19 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Change | Percent Change | Absolute Change | Percent Change | ||||
| Total Nonagricultural | 12,951,400 | 12,913,900 | 12,614,700 | 37,500 | 0.3 | 336,700 | 2.7 |
| Total Private | 10,979,900 | 10,944,700 | 10,658,800 | 35,200 | 0.3 | 321,100 | 3.0 |
| Goods Producing | 1,976,100 | 1,964,600 | 1,898,300 | 11,500 | 0.6 | 77,800 | 4.1 |
| Mining and Logging | 254,900 | 255,500 | 254,800 | -600 | -0.2 | 100 | 0.0 |
| Construction | 804,000 | 798,200 | 748,000 | 5,800 | 0.7 | 56,000 | 7.5 |
| Manufacturing | 917,200 | 910,900 | 895,500 | 6,300 | 0.7 | 21,700 | 2.4 |
| Service Providing | 10,975,300 | 10,949,300 | 10,716,400 | 26,000 | 0.2 | 258,900 | 2.4 |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 2,544,900 | 2,536,900 | 2,511,200 | 8,000 | 0.3 | 33,700 | 1.3 |
| Information | 202,100 | 202,800 | 205,200 | -700 | -0.3 | -3,100 | -1.5 |
| Financial Activities | 811,200 | 809,400 | 781,700 | 1,800 | 0.2 | 29,500 | 3.8 |
| Professional and Business Services | 1,795,000 | 1,795,400 | 1,748,100 | -400 | 0.0 | 46,900 | 2.7 |
| Education and Health Services | 1,775,900 | 1,765,700 | 1,710,700 | 10,200 | 0.6 | 65,200 | 3.8 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 1,416,900 | 1,415,700 | 1,366,200 | 1,200 | 0.1 | 50,700 | 3.7 |
| Other Services | 457,800 | 454,200 | 437,400 | 3,600 | 0.8 | 20,400 | 4.7 |
| Government | 1,971,500 | 1,969,200 | 1,955,900 | 2,300 | 0.1 | 15,600 | 0.8 |
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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.
