State Unemployment Rate Continues Decline in April

Area County Rates Also Decrease 

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

EAST TEXAS – According to a May 20 press release from the Texas Workforce Commission, “Texas added 62,800 total nonagricultural jobs in April 2022. For the sixth consecutive month, the state set new employment highs as total nonfarm jobs reached 13,284,500 in April 2022. Texas has added a total of 742,000 positions since April 2021.”

The media release went on to state the seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate in April was 4.3 percent, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from March 2022.

While the 4.3 percent mark indicated a decline in the Lone Star State, the unemployment rate still remains above the national mark of 3.6 percent.

Statewide, the highest unemployment level recorded was 6.8 percent, in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA).

An MSA is defined as a “… free-standing metropolitan area composed of one or more counties.”

The lowest rate, at 2.5 percent, was found in the Amarillo and Austin-Round Rock MSAs. The nearest regional MSA is in the Tyler area, which came in at 3.3 percent for the month of March.  

Just like the state number, the unemployment rates for Houston County and the counties contiguous to Houston County all showed a decrease over the month-to-month timeframe. 

In Houston County, the unemployment rate showed a decline as it went from 3.4 percent in March to 3.1 percent in April. The April 2022 unemployment rate was also lower than the April 2021 rate of 4.8 percent.

The unemployment rate in Anderson County also dropped over the month-to-month timeframe as it went from 3.2 percent in March to three percent in April. The April 2022 unemployment rate was also lower than the five percent rate posted in April 2021.

To the south – in Trinity County – the month-to-month rate decreased as it went from 5.4 percent in March to 5.2 percent in April. The April 2022 unemployment rate was lower than the 7.1 percent rate posted in April 2021.

The April unemployment rate in Cherokee County showed a decrease as it went from 4.4 percent in March to 4.1 percent in April. The April 2022 unemployment rate was also significantly lower than the 6.4 percent rate posted in April 2021.

The largest population center in the immediate area – Angelina County – also saw the unemployment rate drop as it went from 4.6 percent in March to 4.3 percent in April. The April 2022 unemployment rate was also lower than the 6.6 percent rate posted in April 2021.

On a month-to-month basis, in Leon County, the statistical data pointed to a decrease from 5.1 percent in March to 4.7 percent in April. The April 2022 unemployment rate was lower than the seven percent rate posted in April 2021.

Madison County also saw a decrease in the unemployment rate as it went from four percent in March to 3.8 percent in April. The April 2022 unemployment rate was also lower than the 6.2 percent rate posted in April 2021.

Rounding out the area counties, the Walker County unemployment rate decreased from 4.5 in March to 4.3 percent in April. The April 2022 unemployment rate was also lower than the 6.1 percent rate posted in April 2021.

In the aforementioned press release from the TWC, Chairman Bryan Daniel stated, “The Texas economy has added more than a hundred thousand jobs in the last two months. The Texas economy continues to shift from recovery to expansion with positive job growth for more than a year and many industries exceeding full recovery of jobs lost during the pandemic.”

During the month of April, according to the TWC media briefing, “Leisure and Hospitality gained 13,500 jobs over the month. Education and Health Services added 8,800 positions, followed by Financial Activities employment which grew by 8,700 jobs. Also of note, Mining and Logging added 6,600 jobs, a 3.2 percent increase from March 2022.”

TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez added, “The jobs added this month and decrease in unemployment rate are great signs for our Texas workforce. TWC continues to offer the resources needed to help our workforce succeed and find not just a job, but a meaningful career.”

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].