Texas Adds 28,900 Jobs in April: Unemployment Rate Falls to 3.7 Percent, Returning to All-Time Record Low Last Held in Late 2018
Date: May 17, 2019
Media Contact: Margaret Hession
Phone: 512-463-8942
Texas Adds 28,900 Jobs in April: Unemployment Rate Falls to 3.7 Percent, Returning to All-Time Record Low Last Held in Late 2018
AUSTIN ⎯ Growth in the Texas economy continued in April, with 28,900 seasonally adjusted nonfarm positions added over the month. Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell once more to 3.7 percent, returning to an all-time record low last held in December of 2018. April marked the 108th consecutive month of annual growth for total nonfarm employment.
“Our state’s ongoing success is linked to the innovation and competitiveness of employers in a range of industries providing Texans more opportunities to demonstrate their world-class skills,” said TWC Chair and Commissioner Representing Employers Ruth R. Hughs. “In fact, Chief Executive Magazine has named Texas the Best State for Business for the 15th year in a row.”
Private sector employers added 283,000 jobs over the year. Private annual employment growth was at 2.7 percent in April and has held above 2.0 percent since October 2017.
“As the Texas labor force reaches a historic number, TWC and our 28 local workforce boards are as committed as ever to connecting Texas workers with available jobs,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “Through career and technical education and training incentives Texas can continue to produce the country’s most skilled workers.”
Professional and Business Services led all major industries over the month, adding 8,400 jobs. Construction added 5,800 over the month while Education and Health Services employment grew by 4,300 jobs.
The Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) recorded April’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 1.7 percent, followed by the Odessa MSA which recorded at 2.0 for the second lowest rate. The Amarillo MSA had the third lowest rate of 2.1 percent.
Audio downloads with comments from Chair Hughs 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 May is scheduled to be released on Friday, June 19, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. (CDT).
| April 2019 | March 2019 | April 2018 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | |
| United States | 162,097.0 | 156,710.0 | 5,387.0 | 3.3 | 162,823.0 | 156,441.0 | 6,382.0 | 3.9 | 161,280.0 | 155,348.0 | 5,932.0 | 3.7 |
| Texas | 14,001.0 | 13,585.2 | 415.8 | 3.0 | 14,058.8 | 13,564.2 | 494.7 | 3.5 | 13,817.3 | 13,309.9 | 507.4 | 3.7 |
| Abilene | 77.1 | 75.2 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 77.5 | 75.1 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 77.6 | 75.2 | 2.4 | 3.1 |
| Amarillo | 132.5 | 129.7 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 133.1 | 129.5 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 132.8 | 129.4 | 3.3 | 2.5 |
| Austin-Round Rock | 1,212.4 | 1,184.8 | 27.6 | 2.3 | 1,213.7 | 1,180.6 | 33.1 | 2.7 | 1,193.9 | 1,161.6 | 32.4 | 2.7 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | 175.6 | 167.7 | 7.9 | 4.5 | 177.2 | 167.9 | 9.3 | 5.3 | 176.0 | 165.5 | 10.4 | 5.9 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | 164.5 | 156.8 | 7.8 | 4.7 | 166.9 | 157.8 | 9.1 | 5.5 | 166.2 | 156.0 | 10.2 | 6.1 |
| College Station-Bryan | 135.5 | 132.5 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 137.0 | 133.3 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 133.3 | 129.7 | 3.5 | 2.7 |
| Corpus Christi | 208.0 | 200.5 | 7.5 | 3.6 | 210.2 | 200.9 | 9.3 | 4.4 | 210.1 | 199.8 | 10.3 | 4.9 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 3,962.5 | 3,851.7 | 110.7 | 2.8 | 3,975.7 | 3,844.5 | 131.3 | 3.3 | 3,876.2 | 3,747.6 | 128.6 | 3.3 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving MD | 2,681.9 | 2,606.8 | 75.1 | 2.8 | 2,689.6 | 2,601.1 | 88.5 | 3.3 | 2,614.2 | 2,526.8 | 87.4 | 3.3 |
| Fort Worth-Arlington MD | 1,280.6 | 1,244.9 | 35.7 | 2.8 | 1,286.2 | 1,243.4 | 42.8 | 3.3 | 1,262.0 | 1,220.8 | 41.2 | 3.3 |
| El Paso | 363.3 | 351.4 | 11.9 | 3.3 | 364.8 | 350.6 | 14.2 | 3.9 | 361.0 | 346.4 | 14.6 | 4.0 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 3,426.7 | 3,316.7 | 110.0 | 3.2 | 3,436.2 | 3,307.5 | 128.6 | 3.7 | 3,382.6 | 3,241.8 | 140.8 | 4.2 |
| Killeen-Temple | 178.5 | 172.8 | 5.6 | 3.2 | 178.4 | 171.7 | 6.7 | 3.8 | 175.9 | 169.2 | 6.7 | 3.8 |
| Laredo | 117.7 | 113.9 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 118.4 | 113.9 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 116.4 | 112.3 | 4.1 | 3.5 |
| Longview | 96.7 | 93.6 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 97.3 | 93.6 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 98.2 | 94.4 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| Lubbock | 163.6 | 159.8 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 164.4 | 159.3 | 5.1 | 3.1 | 162.7 | 158.2 | 4.5 | 2.8 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | 351.7 | 334.1 | 17.6 | 5.0 | 355.8 | 335.3 | 20.5 | 5.8 | 351.1 | 328.7 | 22.4 | 6.4 |
| Midland | 106.5 | 104.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 106.7 | 104.5 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 103.8 | 101.8 | 2.0 | 1.9 |
| Odessa | 86.4 | 84.6 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 86.6 | 84.5 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 84.8 | 82.6 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
| San Angelo | 56.1 | 54.7 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 56.2 | 54.5 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 55.8 | 54.2 | 1.6 | 2.9 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | 1,202.8 | 1,171.7 | 31.1 | 2.6 | 1,207.9 | 1,170.4 | 37.5 | 3.1 | 1,189.6 | 1,153.2 | 36.3 | 3.1 |
| Sherman-Denison | 64.2 | 62.6 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 64.5 | 62.5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 63.2 | 61.2 | 1.9 | 3.1 |
| Texarkana | 64.6 | 62.3 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 64.9 | 62.0 | 2.9 | 4.5 | 64.2 | 61.6 | 2.7 | 4.1 |
| Tyler | 108.5 | 105.4 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 108.3 | 104.6 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 107.2 | 103.6 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
| Victoria | 46.2 | 44.9 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 46.7 | 45.1 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 46.7 | 45.0 | 1.7 | 3.7 |
| Waco | 126.1 | 122.6 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 126.5 | 122.2 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 125.3 | 121.1 | 4.2 | 3.3 |
| Wichita Falls | 65.9 | 64.2 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 66.3 | 64.2 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 66.0 | 64.0 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
| INDUSTRY TITLE | Apr 2019* | Mar 2019 | Apr 2018 | Mar '19 to Apr '19 | Apr '18 to Apr '19 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Change | Percent Change | Absolute Change | Percent Change | ||||
| Total Nonagricultural | 12,727,600 | 12,698,700 | 12,433,400 | 28,900 | 0.2 | 294,200 | 2.4 |
| Total Private | 10,768,900 | 10,740,200 | 10,485,900 | 28,700 | 0.3 | 283,000 | 2.7 |
| Goods Producing | 1,928,500 | 1,919,700 | 1,848,000 | 8,800 | 0.5 | 80,500 | 4.4 |
| Mining and Logging | 257,500 | 254,800 | 241,100 | 2,700 | 1.1 | 16,400 | 6.8 |
| Construction | 766,500 | 760,700 | 734,000 | 5,800 | 0.8 | 32,500 | 4.4 |
| Manufacturing | 904,500 | 904,200 | 872,900 | 300 | 0.0 | 31,600 | 3.6 |
| Service Providing | 10,799,100 | 10,779,000 | 10,585,400 | 20,100 | 0.2 | 213,700 | 2.0 |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 2,510,800 | 2,510,000 | 2,475,800 | 800 | 0.0 | 35,000 | 1.4 |
| Information | 202,000 | 202,100 | 203,400 | -100 | 0.0 | -1,400 | -0.7 |
| Financial Activities | 793,400 | 790,000 | 772,500 | 3,400 | 0.4 | 20,900 | 2.7 |
| Professional and Business Services | 1,766,900 | 1,758,500 | 1,721,000 | 8,400 | 0.5 | 45,900 | 2.7 |
| Education and Health Services | 1,729,900 | 1,725,600 | 1,687,600 | 4,300 | 0.2 | 42,300 | 2.5 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 1,391,700 | 1,388,500 | 1,346,200 | 3,200 | 0.2 | 45,500 | 3.4 |
| Other Services | 445,700 | 445,800 | 431,400 | -100 | 0.0 | 14,300 | 3.3 |
| Government | 1,958,700 | 1,958,500 | 1,947,500 | 200 | 0.0 | 11,200 | 0.6 |
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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.
