cheap tickets airline tickets: Texas adds jobs in July, but employment rate rises

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Texas adds jobs in July, but employment rate rises

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Texas employers have posted monthly gains in job creation every month over the past two years.

The unemployment rate in Texas grew slightly to 7.2 percent in July despite the state having added 17,800 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs.

The rate was 7 percent in June, the Texas Workforce Commission reported.

The unemployment rate in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area stayed the same at 7.4 percent, the agency reported. The rate in July 2011 was 8.3 percent.

The Texas economy has achieved continuous monthly job growth over the last two years. In just the last year alone, the state added 222,500 total nonfarm jobs.

Even though the state's unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent in July, it is down from 8.1 percent in July 2011, the TWC said. Part of the reason why the unemployment rate is up, even though there are more jobs, is because the state?s labor force has expanded to 12.6 million workers and job seekers.

?I am pleased that our state?s economy has been able to show consistent growth across a variety of industries in recent years,? says Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar. ?Over the last two years, the Texas economy has added 457,700 total nonfarm jobs. I encourage those seeking employment to visit WorkInTexas.com to seize the opportunities that are being created here.?

The Education and Health Services industry grew the most out of any major industry in Texas. This sector added 12,600 jobs in July and added 45,200 jobs over the full year.

Employers in Professional and Business Services added 8,500 positions since July and 48,800 jobs since July 2011. The Manufacturing sector added 4,200 jobs over the month and 19,200 jobs over the years.

Full labor market reports can be found at texasworkforce.org.

This report contains material from the San Antonio Business Journal.