Recent Press Releases

May 22, 2023 - Governor Abbott Announces Over $1.2 Million In Career Training Grants To San Antonio-Area Schools

Governor Greg Abbott today announced five Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants totaling more than $1.2 million have been awarded to five San Antonio-area schools by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The JET grants will support career and technical education (CTE) training programs by helping the schools purchase and install equipment to train initially more than 1,600 students for high-demand occupations.

May 19, 2023 - Texas Job Growth Continues in April with Record Job Count

AUSTIN ⎯ Texas achieved 26 consecutive months of growth in total nonfarm employment in April 2023, with the state again eclipsing records for the largest civilian labor force and greatest number of people employed in state history. The seasonally adjusted civilian labor force increased by 62,184 to reach a series-high 14,960,308 people, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.0 percent. Texas added 33,300 positions to reach another series-high job count at 13,871,100 total nonfarm jobs. Annually, the Texas job count increased more than any other state, with 534,600 positions added since April 2022.

May 17, 2023 - Governor Abbott Announces Over $7.7 Million In Career Training Grants To Coastal Bend Schools

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott today announced 17 Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants totaling more than $7.7 million have been awarded to 12 Coastal Bend-area educational institutions by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The JET grants will support career and technical education (CTE) training programs by helping the schools purchase and install equipment to train initially more than 1,700 students for high-demand occupations.

May 16, 2023 - TWC’s Summer Earn & Learn Program Connects Students with Disabilities to Work Opportunities

AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) announces the kickoff of this year’s Summer Earn and Learn (SEAL) program for students with disabilities aged 14-22. Through work-based learning, students earn a paycheck while acquiring new skills and gaining professional experience.

May 11, 2023 - Governor Abbott Announces Over $944,000 In Career Training Grants

AUSTIN ⎯ Governor Greg Abbott announced four Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant awards for a combined $944,203 to Austin Community College and Bastrop Independent School District (ISD) by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to support career and technical education (CTE) training programs. These grants will help the schools purchase and install equipment to initially train over 1,600 students for high-demand careers in the welding, carpentry, automotive service, and nursing industries.

May 9, 2023 - TWC Grants Enable Middle School Students to Attend STEM Summer Camps

AUSTIN – Students will attend various camps across the state this summer for free to get a head start in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. Camp Code will offer 1,207 middle school students summer camp scholarships in coding and computer science after Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) awarded 12 grants totaling $736,432.

April 25, 2023 - TWC Awards Grants to Create Child Care Talent Pipeline Through Apprenticeship Programs

AUSTIN – The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is investing in a talent pipeline for the early childhood industry by providing $1,052,881 for six grants to develop child care apprenticeships.

April 21, 2023 - Texas Breaks More Records in March 2023: Labor Force Size, Number Employed, and Job Count

AUSTIN ⎯ Texas attains new records in March 2023 with the largest civilian labor force and greatest number of people employed in state history. The seasonally adjusted civilian labor force increased by 78,800 to reach a series-high 14,898,100 people, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.0 percent. Texas added 28,600 positions to reach another series-high job count at 13,839,200 total nonfarm jobs. Since March 2022, 575,100 positions have been added. 

April 20, 2023 - Governor Abbott, TWC Award Over $970,000 In Governor’s Summer Merit Scholarships

AUSTIN ⎯ Governor Greg Abbott today awarded 12 grants totaling $979,640 to Texas universities and community colleges for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) summer youth camps through the Governor's Summer Merit Program. Administered by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), these funds will provide scholarships for more than 1,500 students ages 14 to 21 to attend STEM camps that will prepare them for advanced, high-demand jobs.

April 19, 2023 - TWC Awards Training Grant to Workforce Solutions Coastal Bend for Partnership with Kingsville Chamber of Commerce, Coastal Bend College

AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission has awarded Workforce Solutions Coastal Bend, in partnership with Kingsville Chamber of Commerce, a $150,000 Texas Industry Partnership (TIP) grant to create training programs to support Naval Air Station Kingsville through a collaboration with Coastal Bend College. 

April 6, 2023 – American YouthWorks Receives $319,824 Workforce Training Grant

AUSTIN ⎯ American YouthWorks received a $319,824 Texas Talent Connection grant from the Office of Governor Greg Abbott to support innovative education and workforce skills training programs that lead to successful job placement, increased wages, and improved job retention.

April 4, 2023 - TWC Invites Employers to Apply for Funds to Train Workers

AUSTIN – The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is rolling out a new initiative named Upskill Texas to help businesses with 100 employees or more train their workforce.

March 30, 2023 – South Texas College Receives $254,167 Workforce Training Grant

AUSTIN ⎯ South Texas College received a $254,167 Texas Talent Connection (TTC) grant from the Office of Governor Greg Abbott to support innovative education and workforce skills training programs that lead to successful job placement, increased wages, and improved job retention.

March 24, 2023 - Texas Growth Continues, State Leads the Nation in Jobs Added Over the Last 12 Months

AUSTIN ⎯ Texas added 58,200 positions in February 2023, leading the nation in jobs added over the month. In February, the state reached 13,831,900 total nonfarm jobs. February also marks two full years of uninterrupted monthly job growth in Texas. Since February 2022, 611,400 jobs have been added in Texas. The Texas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 4.0 percent. However, the civilian labor force increased by 64,800 people which marked the largest monthly increase since September 2020.

March 10, 2023 - Texas Adds 48,600 Jobs in January, Marks Five Percent Growth in Jobs Added Over the Year

AUSTIN ⎯ Texas added 48,600 positions in January 2023, reaching 13,782,300 total nonfarm jobs. This marks the 16th consecutive record employment high based on a revision to the December 2022 report. Since January 2022, 654,100 jobs have been added in Texas, marking an annual growth rate of 5.0 percent. The Texas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percent to 3.9 percent from a revised rate of 3.8 percent in December 2022, remaining below 4.0 percent since March 2022.

March 3, 2023 - TWC Approves Additional Funding to Support Employers, Child Care Providers, Families

AUSTIN –Texas Workforce Commission is investing nearly $173 million for several child care initiatives to support Texas families and expand the child care industry. The initiatives include free business coaching for providers, additional funding for financial aid for lower income families in child care services, and assistance for launching employer-supported child care.

Feb. 22, 2023 - TWC Opens Call to Serve on the Purchasing from People with Disabilities Advisory Committee

AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is accepting applications from qualified community members throughout Texas interested in serving on the Purchasing from People with Disabilities Program’s Advisory Committee, also known as the Works Wonders Program.

Feb. 16, 2023 - BayTech Advanced Technology Consortium Receives $332,324 Workforce Training Grant

AUSTIN ⎯ Bay Area Houston Advanced Technology Consortium (BayTech) received a $332,324 Texas Talent Connection grant from the Office of Governor Greg Abbott to support innovative education and workforce skills training programs that lead to successful job placement, increased wages, and improved job retention.

Feb. 9, 2023 - Jobs and Education for Texans Grant Now Accepting Applications

AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has published a Request for Applications (RFA) for the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant program for Public Junior, State, and Technical Colleges, Texas Independent School Districts, Open-Enrollment Charter Schools and the Windham School District.

Feb. 1, 2023 - TWC Releases 2023 Texas Conference for Employers Schedule

AUSTIN –Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) announces the 2023 season of the Texas Conference for Employers (TCE), with the first event scheduled this month. TWC’s Office of the Commissioner Representing Employers sponsors the TCE series, which offers employers, managers, and human resource professionals the opportunity to learn about new employment laws, earn education credits, network with peers, and talk one-on-one with employment attorneys.

Jan. 25, 2023 - Lone Star College Receives $324,792 Workforce Training Grant

AUSTIN ⎯ Lone Star College received a $324,792 Texas Talent Connection grant from the Office of Governor Greg Abbott to support innovative education and workforce skills training programs that lead to successful job placement, increased wages, and improved job retention. The grant benefits individuals participating in the Strategic Engagement for Student Career Planning project.

Jan. 24, 2023 - Texas Outpaces the Nation, Adding the Most Jobs in 2022

AUSTIN ⎯ Texas ranks first in the nation in over-the-year jobs added, with 650,100 positions gained in 2022. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the state not only had the largest absolute increase in jobs added, but also attained the highest percent of seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs added over the year at 5.0 percent.

Jan. 20, 2023 - Texas Unemployment Rate Drops in December, State Adds 29,500 Jobs

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.

Jan. 12, 2023 - Community Learning Center Receives $300,000 Workforce Training Grant

AUSTIN ⎯ Community Learning Center, Inc. (CLC) received a $300,000 Texas Talent Connection grant from the Office of Governor Greg Abbott to support innovative education and workforce skills training programs that lead to successful job placement, increased wages, and improved job retention. The grant benefits individuals participating in the North Central Texas (NCT HVAC-R) project.

Jan. 11, 2023 - Texas Tech University Receives $350,000 Workforce Training Grant

AUSTIN ⎯ Texas Tech University received a $350,000 Texas Talent Connection grant from the Office of Governor Greg Abbott to support innovative education and workforce skills training programs that lead to successful job placement, increased wages, and improved job retention.

Jan. 11, 2023 - TWC Welcomes Treviño as the New Commissioner Representing Labor

AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Alberto “Albert” Treviño, III as the Texas Workforce Commission’s new Commissioner Representing Labor.

Jan. 10, 2023 - TWC Lowers Taxes for Texas Employers in 2023

AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) announced the average unemployment insurance (UI) tax rate for all employers will be 1.16% for calendar year (CY) 2023. Last year, the average tax rate was 1.35%.