Texas jobless rate inches up to 8.3 percent in April; state adds jobs for 4th straight month

Texas jobless rate rises to 8.3 percent in April

AUSTIN, Texas — The unemployment rate in Texas rose slightly to 8.3 percent in April, although the number of jobs grew for the fourth consecutive month, a state agency said Friday.

The jobless rate increased after holding steady at 8.2 percent the first three months of 2010, while Texas added 32,500 nonagricultural jobs in April for a total increase of 79,000 jobs so far this year, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

The commission said the work force in Texas grew by 51,000 in April, outpacing the increase in jobs.

“The Texas labor force is expanding at a record pace, and there is stiff competition for all these new jobs,” said Ronny Congleton, the commissioner representing labor.

The Texas unemployment rate remained below the national figure of 9.9 percent.

Workforce Commission Chairman Tom Pauken says the April employment results were “mixed.”

“We did experience job growth in a number of industries,” Pauken said.

Education and health services had the biggest increase in April at 14,800 jobs, while construction added 10,600. Professional and business services was up by 7,900 jobs.

Unemployment rates are adjusted for seasonal trends in hiring and firing, which most economists believe gives a better picture of the job market.

Without the seasonal adjustment, the Texas jobless rate fell to 8.1 percent in April from 8.2 percent in March.

Amarillo and Midland held the state’s lowest local rate, which is not seasonally adjusted. The following are the preliminary April jobless rates for specific areas of Texas, with revised March numbers in parentheses.

Abilene 6.3 (6.3)

Amarillo 5.6 (5.6)

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos 7.0 (7.1)

Beaumont-Port Arthur 10.6 (10.8)

Brownsville-Harlingen 10.8 (11.0)

College Station-Bryan 5.9 (5.9)

Corpus Christi 7.9 (7.9)

Dallas-Plano-Irving 8.2 (8.3)

El Paso 9.4 (9.4)

Fort Worth-Arlington 8.2 (8.3)

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown 8.4 (8.5)

Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood 7.3 (7.3)

Laredo 8.8 (9.1)

Longview 7.5 (7.6)

Lubbock 5.9 (5.9)

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 11.1 (11.6)

Midland 5.6 (5.7)

Odessa 8.4 (8.4)

San Angelo 6.5 (6.4)

San Antonio-New Braunfels 7.3 (7.3)

Sherman-Denison 8.4 (8.5)

Texarkana 7.4 (7.6)

Tyler 7.6 (7.8)

Victoria 7.7 (8.0)

Waco 7.0 (7.1)

Wichita Falls 7.8 (7.9)