Texas Unemployment Rate Drops in December
Area County Rates Also Decrease
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
EAST TEXAS – According to a Jan. 22 press release from the Texas Workforce Commission, “Texas added 64,200 total nonagricultural jobs over the month, marking the eighth consecutive month of job growth in Texas. The Texas unemployment rate for December 2020 was 7.2 percent, down from 8.1 percent in November 2020.”
While the Texas Unemployment rate went down in November, it is still higher than the national unemployment rate of 6.7 percent.
Statewide, the highest unemployment level recorded was 11.7 percent, in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) areas.
An MSA is defined as a “… free-standing metropolitan area composed of one or more counties.”
The lowest rate, at 4.9 percent, was in the Amarillo MSA. The nearest regional MSA is in the Tyler area which came in at 6.4 percent for the month of October.
Just like the state numbers, the unemployment rates for the counties contiguous to Houston County all showed a decrease over the month-to-month timeframe.
In Houston County, the unemployment rate for December showed a decrease as it went from 6.6 percent in October to 6.5 percent last month. The December 2020 unemployment rate was, however, was significantly higher than the December 2019 rate of three percent.
The unemployment rate in Anderson County also dropped as it went from 6.6 percent in November to six percent in December. The December 2020 unemployment rate was significantly higher than the 2.7 percent rate posted in December 2019.
To the south – in Trinity County – the month-to-month rate decreased as it went from 9.5 percent in November to 8.9 percent in December. The December 2020 unemployment rate, however, was significantly higher than the five percent rate posted in December 2019.
The December unemployment rate in Cherokee County also decreased as it went from 9.2 percent in November to eight percent last month. The December 2020 unemployment rate, however, was significantly higher than the 3.7 percent rate posted in December 2019.
The largest population center in the immediate area, Angelina County, also saw the unemployment rate go down as it went from 8.4 percent in November to 7.7 percent in December. The December 2020 unemployment rate was, however, significantly higher than the 3.8 percent rate posted in December 2019.
On a month-to-month basis, in Leon County, the statistical data pointed to a decrease from 9.1 percent in November to 8.9 percent in December. The December 2020 unemployment rate was, however, significantly higher than the 4.1 percent rate posted in December 2019.
Madison County also saw a decrease in the unemployment rate as it went from 8.8 percent in November to 8.1 percent in December. The December 2020 unemployment rate was, however, significantly higher than the four percent rate posted in December 2019.
Rounding out the area counties, Walker County continued the trend as it saw the unemployment rate go from 8.4 percent in November to 7.6 percent in December. The December 2020 unemployment rate was, however, significantly higher than the 3.5 percent rate posted in December 2019.
In the aforementioned press release from the Texas Workforce Commission, TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel stated, “The private sector job growth we saw in December is promising. TWC continues to dedicate significant resources for Texans looking for new jobs and for Texas employers working to fill open jobs.”
In December, according to the TWC media briefing, “The Professional and Business Services industry added 27,000 jobs. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities industry added 20,100 jobs and Education and Health Services added 6,600 jobs.
TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez stated, “This month’s job numbers prove that high-skilled workers are in-demand. “TWC continues to encourage Texans to utilize up-skilling opportunities like the Skills Enhancement Initiative through Metrix learning.”
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
