Texas Unemployment Rate Drops in December, State Adds 29,500 Jobs
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Media Contact: Angela Woellner
Phone: 512-463-8556
AUSTIN - In December 2022, Texas added 29,500 positions, reaching a total of 13,705,500 nonfarm jobs in Texas. December marked the 14th consecutive record employment high in Texas, after the state first surpassed the pre-COVID level in November 2021. The Texas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined for the first time in three months to 3.9 percent in December, logging the first month the rate fell below 4.0 percent since February 2020.
“Each month of record employment in Texas creates more opportunities for success for our workforce and employers alike,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “TWC is committed to providing the resources and programs needed to sustain this growth and keep the Texas economy thriving.”
Education and health services led job growth in December with 12,700 positions added, followed by financial activities, which grew by 6,300 jobs. Manufacturing employment added 5,500 jobs over the month.
"Texas remains the best place to do business month after month thanks to the success and resilience of our Texas employers,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “From lowering taxes for Texas employers, to supporting programs that meet the needs of our businesses, TWC is here to help support our economy’s ongoing growth."
The Amarillo and Midland Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) recorded the lowest unemployment rates among Texas MSAs with a not seasonally adjusted rate of 2.6 percent each in December, followed by Austin-Round Rock at 2.7 percent, then College Station-Bryan at 2.8 percent.
'With more than 650,000 jobs added in the past year, career opportunities for Texans continue to grow,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Albert Treviño. “TWC is here to support our state’s growing workforce, and ensure Texas is the best place to live and work.”
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 January is scheduled to be released on Friday, March 10, 2023 at 9:00a.m. (CST).
| December 2022 | November 2022 | December 2021 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | C.L.F. | Emp. | Unemp. | Rate | |
| United States | 164,224.0 | 158,872.0 | 5,352.0 | 3.3 | 164,272.0 | 158,749.0 | 5,523.0 | 3.4 | 161,696.0 | 155,732.0 | 5,964.0 | 3.7 |
| Texas | 14,720.0 | 14,189.4 | 530.6 | 3.6 | 14,704.1 | 14,160.2 | 543.9 | 3.7 | 14,369.6 | 13,761.5 | 608.0 | 4.2 |
| Abilene | 79.3 | 76.8 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 79.2 | 76.6 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 79.4 | 76.7 | 2.7 | 3.4 |
| Amarillo | 134.3 | 130.8 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 134.3 | 130.6 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 134.1 | 130.3 | 3.8 | 2.9 |
| Austin-Round Rock | 1,372.6 | 1,335.8 | 36.8 | 2.7 | 1,372.9 | 1,335.0 | 37.9 | 2.8 | 1,339.8 | 1,301.1 | 38.8 | 2.9 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | 166.5 | 156.0 | 10.5 | 6.3 | 165.9 | 156.0 | 9.9 | 6.0 | 165.6 | 153.1 | 12.5 | 7.6 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | 176.4 | 166.3 | 10.1 | 5.7 | 174.9 | 165.0 | 9.9 | 5.7 | 175.2 | 163.7 | 11.5 | 6.6 |
| College Station-Bryan | 140.8 | 136.9 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 142.1 | 137.8 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 138.9 | 134.6 | 4.3 | 3.1 |
| Corpus Christi | 202.9 | 193.7 | 9.2 | 4.5 | 202.6 | 193.2 | 9.4 | 4.6 | 202.4 | 190.8 | 11.7 | 5.8 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 4,327.8 | 4,191.3 | 136.6 | 3.2 | 4,328.1 | 4,186.2 | 141.9 | 3.3 | 4,170.3 | 4,018.9 | 151.4 | 3.6 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving MD | 2,943.5 | 2,851.2 | 92.3 | 3.1 | 2,947.0 | 2,851.4 | 95.6 | 3.2 | 2,825.0 | 2,723.6 | 101.4 | 3.6 |
| Fort Worth-Arlington MD | 1,384.4 | 1,340.1 | 44.3 | 3.2 | 1,381.1 | 1,334.8 | 46.3 | 3.4 | 1,345.3 | 1,295.3 | 50.0 | 3.7 |
| El Paso | 366.7 | 352.1 | 14.6 | 4.0 | 365.4 | 350.0 | 15.5 | 4.2 | 365.2 | 348.0 | 17.3 | 4.7 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 3,565.9 | 3,425.4 | 140.5 | 3.9 | 3,549.7 | 3,406.8 | 142.9 | 4.0 | 3,460.8 | 3,294.0 | 166.8 | 4.8 |
| Killeen-Temple | 183.4 | 176.1 | 7.2 | 4.0 | 183.2 | 175.7 | 7.6 | 4.1 | 181.9 | 173.9 | 8.0 | 4.4 |
| Laredo | 118.9 | 114.5 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 118.6 | 114.0 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 117.5 | 112.0 | 5.5 | 4.7 |
| Longview | 96.4 | 92.6 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 96.6 | 92.7 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 95.6 | 91.1 | 4.5 | 4.7 |
| Lubbock | 168.7 | 163.8 | 4.8 | 2.9 | 168.9 | 163.6 | 5.3 | 3.1 | 166.3 | 160.9 | 5.5 | 3.3 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | 376.2 | 350.6 | 25.6 | 6.8 | 374.4 | 350.5 | 23.9 | 6.4 | 369.0 | 340.2 | 28.8 | 7.8 |
| Midland | 105.5 | 102.8 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 104.8 | 101.9 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 103.6 | 99.5 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| Odessa | 81.6 | 78.6 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 81.5 | 78.2 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 81.1 | 76.4 | 4.7 | 5.8 |
| San Angelo | 54.9 | 53.3 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 54.8 | 53.0 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 54.6 | 52.6 | 2.0 | 3.6 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | 1,244.1 | 1,203.3 | 40.8 | 3.3 | 1,250.8 | 1,207.8 | 43.0 | 3.4 | 1,217.2 | 1,171.2 | 46.0 | 3.8 |
| Sherman-Denison | 68.0 | 65.8 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 67.8 | 65.5 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 66.2 | 63.9 | 2.3 | 3.5 |
| Texarkana | 64.0 | 61.6 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 63.8 | 61.4 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 63.7 | 61.0 | 2.7 | 4.2 |
| Tyler | 112.4 | 108.7 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 112.5 | 108.6 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 111.1 | 106.9 | 4.2 | 3.7 |
| Victoria | 44.0 | 42.4 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 44.1 | 42.3 | 1.8 | 4.0 | 44.3 | 42.1 | 2.2 | 4.9 |
| Waco | 132.1 | 127.9 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 132.0 | 127.6 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 130.3 | 125.7 | 4.6 | 3.5 |
| Wichita Falls | 64.5 | 62.3 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 64.5 | 62.2 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 63.6 | 61.2 | 2.4 | 3.8 |
| INDUSTRY TITLE | Dec 2022* | Nov 2022 | Dec 2021 | Nov '22 to Dec '22 | Dec '21 to Dec '22 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Change | Percent Change | Absolute Change | Percent Change | ||||
| Total Nonagricultural | 13,705,500 | 13,676,000 | 13,055,400 | 29,500 | 0.2 | 650,100 | 5.0 |
| Total Private | 11,706,900 | 11,677,300 | 11,078,100 | 29,600 | 0.3 | 628,800 | 5.7 |
| Goods Producing | 1,944,400 | 1,936,100 | 1,836,800 | 8,300 | 0.4 | 107,600 | 5.9 |
| Mining and Logging | 230,100 | 228,000 | 189,800 | 2,100 | 0.9 | 40,300 | 21.2 |
| Construction | 774,600 | 773,900 | 756,300 | 700 | 0.1 | 18,300 | 2.4 |
| Manufacturing | 939,700 | 934,200 | 890,700 | 5,500 | 0.6 | 49,000 | 5.5 |
| Service Providing | 11,761,100 | 11,739,900 | 11,218,600 | 21,200 | 0.2 | 542,500 | 4.8 |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 2,721,900 | 2,719,400 | 2,627,900 | 2,500 | 0.1 | 94,000 | 3.6 |
| Information | 240,800 | 238,600 | 215,300 | 2,200 | 0.9 | 25,500 | 11.8 |
| Financial Activities | 915,700 | 909,400 | 858,400 | 6,300 | 0.7 | 57,300 | 6.7 |
| Professional and Business Services | 2,037,600 | 2,041,800 | 1,979,100 | -4,200 | -0.2 | 58,500 | 3.0 |
| Education and Health Services | 1,857,700 | 1,845,000 | 1,752,600 | 12,700 | 0.7 | 105,100 | 6.0 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 1,526,500 | 1,528,700 | 1,371,100 | -2,200 | -0.1 | 155,400 | 11.3 |
| Other Services | 462,300 | 458,300 | 436,900 | 4,000 | 0.9 | 25,400 | 5.8 |
| Government | 1,998,600 | 1,998,700 | 1,977,300 | -100 | 0.0 | 21,300 | 1.1 |
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Texas Workforce Commission is a state agency dedicated to helping Texas employers, workers, and communities prosper economically. For details on TWC and its services in coordination with its local workforce development boards network, call 800-628-5115 or visit https://twc.texas.gov/. Subscribe to email updates to receive notifications about TWC programs and services.