Texas Unemployment Rate Falls to 6.8 Percent in August
By Texas Workforce Commission Posted 09-18-2020

Texas Adds 106,800 Nonfarm Positions Over the Month

AUSTIN ? In August, Texas saw a decrease in the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 6.8 percent. This is the fourth consecutive monthly decrease and the lowest rate since March 2020 when the Texas economy was initially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas is below the national seasonally adjusted rate of 8.4 percent.

“The Texas unemployment rate continues to move in a positive direction as job seekers and employers adjust to current challenges,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “TWC will continue our efforts to implement strategies designed to help strengthen the Texas economy.”

In August, the Professional and Business Services sector added 33,200 jobs, Trade, Transportation and Utilities added 28,800 jobs and Government added 25,000 jobs.

“As our labor force continues to grow, it becomes extremely important to build skills that will not only help Texans find jobs but build careers,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “TWC is proud to help all Texans connect with the necessary training and on the job programs to build the future they desire.”

The Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) recorded August’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a not seasonally adjusted rate of 4.2 percent, followed by the College Station-Bryan MSA with the second lowest rate of 4.7 percent. The Abilene MSAs recorded the third lowest rate of 4.9 percent.

“Our unemployment rate continues to demonstrate that our Texas employers are hiring,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “Our office continues to be an essential resource to our Texas employers by providing them with relevant information as they continue to move forward during these unprecedented times.”

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 September is scheduled to be released on Friday, October 16, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. (CDT).

Civilian Labor Force Estimates for Texas Metropolitan Statistical Areas Not Seasonally Adjusted (In Thousands)
  August 2020 July 2020 August 2019
C.L.F. Emp. Unemp. Rate C.L.F. Emp. Unemp. Rate C.L.F. Emp. Unemp. Rate
United States 160,966.0 147,224.0 13,742.0 8.5 161,374.0 144,492.0 16,882.0 10.5 164,019.0 157,816.0 6,203.0 3.8
Texas 14,325.5 13,329.3 996.3 7.0 13,858.3 12,706.7 1,151.6 8.3 14,030.1 13,506.6 523.4 3.7
Abilene 79.9 76.0 3.9 4.9 77.0 72.4 4.6 6.0 78.7 76.2 2.5 3.2
Amarillo 130.0 124.5 5.5 4.2 125.4 118.9 6.5 5.2 131.9 128.3 3.6 2.7
Austin-Round Rock 1,279.0 1,208.9 70.1 5.5 1,224.5 1,141.7 82.8 6.8 1,235.6 1,200.6 35.1 2.8
Beaumont-Port Arthur 172.2 154.4 17.8 10.3 168.4 148.1 20.3 12.0 172.8 162.3 10.5 6.1
Brownsville-Harlingen 170.5 154.7 15.9 9.3 164.8 146.5 18.3 11.1 167.3 157.8 9.5 5.7
College Station-Bryan 138.1 131.7 6.5 4.7 132.8 125.0 7.7 5.8 130.3 126.4 4.0 3.1
Corpus Christi 207.6 190.2 17.4 8.4 201.6 181.4 20.3 10.1 206.4 197.1 9.3 4.5
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 4,085.8 3,828.8 257.0 6.3 3,949.8 3,650.1 299.7 7.6 3,977.0 3,839.8 137.2 3.5
   Dallas-Plano-Irving MD 2,767.9 2,596.0 171.9 6.2 2,668.9 2,468.4 200.5 7.5 2,682.1 2,589.6 92.6 3.5
   Fort Worth-Arlington MD 1,317.8 1,232.7 85.1 6.5 1,280.8 1,181.7 99.1 7.7 1,294.9 1,250.2 44.6 3.4
El Paso 371.3 344.3 27.1 7.3 357.7 326.2 31.5 8.8 362.6 348.0 14.6 4.0
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 3,485.8 3,203.5 282.3 8.1 3,394.5 3,071.6 323.0 9.5 3,417.2 3,278.6 138.6 4.1
Killeen-Temple 180.8 169.9 10.9 6.0 174.3 161.8 12.5 7.2 176.4 169.4 7.0 4.0
Laredo 119.5 110.1 9.4 7.8 115.7 105.1 10.7 9.2 118.4 114.0 4.5 3.8
Longview 98.7 91.5 7.2 7.3 95.2 87.1 8.1 8.5 99.4 95.5 3.9 3.9
Lubbock 164.6 156.0 8.5 5.2 159.2 149.0 10.2 6.4 163.5 158.6 4.9 3.0
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 362.1 322.7 39.4 10.9 352.0 307.7 44.3 12.6 351.6 328.5 23.2 6.6
Midland 106.3 97.7 8.6 8.1 102.7 93.0 9.7 9.5 110.7 108.2 2.5 2.3
Odessa 87.7 78.0 9.7 11.1 85.6 74.8 10.8 12.7 87.7 85.2 2.5 2.9
San Angelo 53.8 50.6 3.2 6.0 52.2 48.4 3.8 7.4 55.2 53.4 1.8 3.2
San Antonio-New Braunfels 1,234.2 1,153.1 81.1 6.6 1,193.2 1,097.8 95.4 8.0 1,204.3 1,164.3 40.0 3.3
Sherman-Denison 65.9 62.6 3.3 5.0 63.9 60.2 3.8 5.9 64.1 62.0 2.1 3.3
Texarkana 65.8 61.4 4.4 6.7 64.2 59.3 4.9 7.6 64.7 61.7 2.9 4.5
Tyler 109.6 103.0 6.6 6.0 105.8 98.2 7.7 7.2 107.0 103.2 3.8 3.6
Victoria 46.2 42.8 3.4 7.5 45.3 41.0 4.3 9.4 45.9 44.3 1.6 3.6
Waco 131.4 124.4 7.0 5.4 126.4 118.1 8.3 6.6 126.7 122.1 4.5 3.6
Wichita Falls 65.7 61.8 3.8 5.9 63.0 58.5 4.5 7.2 65.2 63.1 2.2 3.3
Texas Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment Seasonally Adjusted
INDUSTRY TITLE Aug 2020* Jul 2020 Aug 2019 Jul '20 to Aug '20 Aug '19 to Aug '20
Absolute Change Percent Change Absolute Change Percent Change
Total Nonagricultural 12,219,400 12,112,600 12,836,000 106,800 0.9 -616,600 -4.8
Total Private 10,264,900 10,183,100 10,852,900 81,800 0.8 -588,000 -5.4
Goods Producing 1,796,200 1,794,600 1,936,400 1,600 0.1 -140,200 -7.2
   Mining and Logging 187,300 190,200 248,300 -2,900 -1.5 -61,000 -24.6
   Construction 739,800 736,500 779,100 3,300 0.4 -39,300 -5
   Manufacturing 869,100 867,900 909,000 1,200 0.1 -39,900 -4.4
Service Providing 10,423,200 10,318,000 10,899,600 105,200 1 -476,400 -4.4
   Trade, Transportation, and Utilities 2,438,400 2,409,600 2,512,800 28,800 1.2 -74,400 -3
   Information 195,900 194,900 209,000 1,000 0.5 -13,100 -6.3
   Financial Activities 809,700 805,200 806,100 4,500 0.6 3,600 0.4
   Professional and Business Services 1,778,500 1,745,300 1,801,500 33,200 1.9 -23,000 -1.3
   Education and Health Services 1,675,100 1,678,000 1,745,300 -2,900 -0.2 -70,200 -4
   Leisure and Hospitality 1,147,500 1,146,200 1,395,100 1,300 0.1 -247,600 -17.7
   Other Services 423,600 409,300 446,700 14,300 3.5 -23,100 -5.2
   Government 1,954,500 1,929,500 1,983,100 25,000 1.3 -28,600 -1.4
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