Texas Unemployment Rate Remains the Same Month-to-Month
Area County Rates Drop
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
EAST TEXAS – According to an April 16 press release from the Texas Workforce Commission, “In March, the seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate was 6.9 percent, unchanged from February 2021. Texas gained 99,000 total nonagricultural jobs over the month, marking gains in 10 of the last 11 months. Private sector employment increased 106,600 for the month.”
While the Texas unemployment rate remained the same from February to March, it is still higher than the national unemployment rate of 6.2 percent.
Statewide, the highest unemployment level recorded was 11.2 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 6.5 percent for the month of January.
Unlike the state numbers, the unemployment rates for the counties contiguous to Houston County all showed an increase over the month-to-month timeframe.
In Houston County, the unemployment rate for January showed a decrease as it went from 6.9 percent in February to 6.2 percent in March. The March 2021 unemployment rate was significantly higher than the March 2020 rate of 4.9 percent.
The unemployment rate in Anderson County also decreased as it went from 6.4 percent in February to 6.2 percent in March. The March 2021 unemployment rate was significantly higher than the 4.1 percent rate posted in March 2020.
To the south – in Trinity County – the month-to-month rate decreased as it went from 9.1 percent in February to 8.8 percent in March. The March 2021 unemployment rate was significantly higher than the 6.8 percent rate posted in March 2020.
The March unemployment rate in Cherokee County also decreased as it went from 8.4 percent in February to 7.6 percent in March. The March 2021 unemployment rate was significantly higher than the 5.4 percent rate posted in March 2020.
The largest population center in the immediate area, Angelina County, also saw the unemployment rate go up as it went from 8.4 percent in February to 8.1 percent in March. The March 2021 unemployment rate was significantly higher than the 5.8 percent rate posted in March 2020.
On a month-to-month basis, in Leon County, the statistical data pointed to a decrease from 9.2 percent in February to 8.7 percent in March. The March 2021 unemployment rate was significantly higher than the 6.5 percent rate posted in March 2020.
Madison County also saw a decrease in the unemployment rate as it went from 8.4 percent in February to eight percent in March. The March 2021 unemployment rate was higher than the 5.6 percent rate posted in March 2020.
Rounding out the area counties, Walker County continued the trend as it saw the unemployment rate go from eight percent in February to 7.8 percent in March. The March 2021 unemployment rate was, however, higher than the 5.5 percent rate posted in March 2020.
In the aforementioned press release from the Texas Workforce Commission, TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel stated, “Positive job numbers for March continue to show Texas is on track for continued growth. TWC will continue to provide flexible and innovative training programs to help provide all Texans with skills they can use for workforce success.”
In March, according to the TWC media briefing, “All industries except the Government sector added jobs over the month, while four had series-high job gains dating back to 1990. In March, the Leisure and Hospitality industry led with 23,100 jobs while Construction employment increased by 19,100 positions. The Professional and Business Services industry followed with a gain of 14,800 jobs.”
TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez stated, “That Texas added over 100,000 private sector jobs in the midst of a pandemic is extraordinary. This is great news for the workers of Texas, and TWC stands ready to help continue this growth through skills training and job matching services through MyTXCareer.com and our local workforce development boards.”
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
