Recent Press Releases

October 22, 2021 – Texas Unemployment Rate Falls to 5.6 Percent in September

AUSTIN – In September, the seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate was 5.6 percent, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from August 2021. Texas added 95,800 total nonagricultural jobs over the month, making gains in 16 of the last 17 months. Texas added a total of 711,500 jobs since September 2020.Read more about the September unemployment rate in the press release.

October 14, 2021 – TWC Strengthens Child Care Industry in Texas Through Free Business Coaching

AUSTIN – The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is launching a new statewide initiative to assist child care providers throughout Texas. This initiative will offer business coaching resources and bring stability to a crucial industry of our Texas workforce. The program will help providers, many of whom struggled during the pandemic with low attendance numbers, strengthen their business practices to foster future success. Lack of access to affordable, quality child care is frequently cited as a key roadblock to employment for many Texans. Read more about the initiative in the release.

October 7, 2021 - Texas HireAbility 2021 Campaign Events Help Texans with Disabilities Connect with Employers, Find Meaningful Careers

AUSTIN – The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is partnering with the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities and Texas Workforce Solutions for the 2021 Texas HireAbility campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. Each October, in conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month, TWC and its partners conduct a statewide series of disability awareness promotions and hiring events to connect employers with this untapped talent pool. Read more about the campaign in the press release.

October 6, 2021 – TWC $351,794 Self Sufficiency Fund Grant Trains 188 Students to Gain Financial Independence and Upward Mobility

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has awarded Texas Southmost College a $351,794 Self Sufficiency Fund grant to help provide training to 188 adult Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients in occupations including welder, plumbing technician, insulator, scaffolder, forklift driver and electrician technician. Read more about the grant in the press release.

October 6, 2021 - Gulf Coast Carpenters & Millwrights Training Trust Fund Receives $105,001 Self Sufficiency Fund Grant

The Texas Workforce Commission has awarded the Gulf Coast Carpenters & Millwrights Training Trust Fund a $105,001 Self Sufficiency Fund training grant to help 50 individuals transition into the workforce. The grant will help provide job training skills for occupations in carpentry. Participants will receive the equivalent of two years of carpenter apprenticeship training in eight weeks. Read more about the grant in the press release.  

September 22, 2021 - TWC Child Care Funding to Assist Service Industry Workers

AUSTIN – The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is providing extra help to the service industry, which was hit hard by the pandemic, by providing 12 months of free child care to low-income parents who are employed in the service industry. TWC has an existing child care subsidy program designed to assist low-wage workers in paying for the cost of child care. The new Service Industry Recovery (SIR) program will use federal COVID-relief funds to provide an extra focus on workers in the service industry. Read about the SIR grant program in the press release.

September 22, 2021 - ApprenticeshipTexas Conference to Explore Ways to Leverage Apprenticeships to Strengthen the Texas Economy

AUSTIN – The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) will host the sixth annual ApprenticeshipTexas Conference on September 23, 2021 to help employers, workforce development professionals and educational institutions learn about the many opportunities to use apprenticeships to build the Texas workforce. TWC invites employers, job seekers, educators and industry stakeholders to participate in the virtual conference. Read the press release to learn more about the conference.

September 17, 2021 - Texas Unemployment Rate Falls to 5.9 Percent in August

AUSTIN – In August, the seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate was 5.9 percent, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from July 2021. Texas added 39,300 total nonagricultural jobs over the month, making gains in 15 of the last 16 months. Texas added a total of 681,000 jobs since August 2020. Read more about the August unemployment rate in the press release.

September 2, 2021 - A Labor Day Message to our Lone Star Workforce from the Texas Workforce Commission

AUSTIN -- This Labor Day weekend, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) wants to recognize and pay tribute to the 14 million plus industrious Texans who are the backbone of our economy and the foundation of our state. Our state’s population is skyrocketing because Texas has built a sturdy economic growth engine, and that attracts new residents and drives population growth.  Our skilled workforce is the primary reason companies move to Texas every day and it’s also why our state’s economy is thriving. Read the letter in Press Releases.

August 31, 2021 - Temple College and Partners Awarded $124,001 Job-Training Grant

The Texas Workforce Commission has awarded Temple College and their partners Affordable Interior Solutions Inc., Butler Weldments, Mine Services Inc., and Whinstone US a $124,001 Skills Development Fund grant. The grant will benefit workers in the Workforce Solutions of Central Texas area. Read more about the grant in the press release.

August 26, 2021 – As Texas’ Unemployment Rate Falls Below 6.5 percent Extended UI Benefits to Trigger Off

AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) will stop paying Extended Benefits (EB) as of the week ending September 11, 2021. Extended Benefits by law are only available during periods of high state or national unemployment, currently defined as an average rate of seasonally adjusted total unemployment that equals 6.5 percent or more. Read more about Extended UI benefits ending in the press release.

August 20, 2021 - Texas Unemployment Rate Falls to 6.2 Percent in July

AUSTIN — In July, the seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate was 6.2 percent, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from June 2021. Texas added 80,900 total nonagricultural jobs over the month, making gains in 14 of the last 15 months. Texas added a total of 714,800 jobs since July 2020. Read more about the July unemployment rate in the press release.

August 05, 2021  – Texas Workforce Commission Supports Adult Education and Literacy with $4,250,000 in Grants

AUSTIN -- The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) awarded three grants in support of Adult Education and Literacy totaling $4,250,000. Read more about the grants in the press release.

July 26, 2021 – Texas Workforce Commission Awarded $10 Million by US Department of Labor for Apprenticeship Programs

AUSTIN -- The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has been awarded $10 million in grant funding by the US Department of Labor to support the expansion of Registered Apprenticeship Programs in Texas. Read more about the grant in the press release.

July 16, 2021 - Texas Unemployment Rate Falls to 6.5 Percent in June

AUSTIN – In June, the seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate was 6.5 percent, down 0.1 percentage points from a revised rate of 6.6 percent in May 2021. Texas added 55,800 total nonagricultural jobs over the month, making gains in 13 of the last 14 months. Texas added a total of 654,200 jobs since June 2020. Read more about the June unemployment rate in the press release.

July 8, 2021 - Texas Workforce Commission Earmarks $9 Million Dollars for Initiative to End the Middle Skills Gap in Texas

AUSTIN –The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) earmarked funding for a comprehensive statewide strategy to end the middle skills gap in Texas. Due to technological advances in the workplace, employment demand has dramatically increased for individuals with middle skills, defined as workers with some education beyond high school but less than a four-year degree. Read more about TWC’s initiative to end the middle skills gap in the press release.