Texas’ May jobless rate holds at 8.3 percent, state adds non-farm jobs for 5th straight month

Texas jobless rate steady at 8.3 percent in May

AUSTIN, Texas — The unemployment rate in Texas held at 8.3 percent in May for the second month in a row, the Texas Workforce Commission said Friday.

It remains well below the national seasonally adjusted rate of 9.7 percent for May.

“During the month of May, employers in most industries added jobs,” said Tom Pauken, the commission chairman.

The number of non-farming jobs grew for the fifth consecutive month, with 43,600 positions added in May.

Professional and business services had the biggest increase in May at 10,200 jobs, while leisure and hospitality added 9,600. The trade, transportation and utilities category was up by 8,200 jobs.

The jobless rate had risen to 8.3 percent in April after holding steady at 8.2 percent in the first three months of 2010. The commission said the Texas work force is at 11.2 million people.

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 8.0 percent in May from 8.1 percent in April.

Amarillo and Midland held the state’s lowest local rate, which is not seasonally adjusted.

The preliminary May jobless rates for specific areas of Texas, with revised April numbers in parentheses:

Abilene 6.3 (6.3)

Amarillo 5.4 (5.6)

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos 6.9 (7.0)

Beaumont-Port Arthur 10.6 (10.6)

Brownsville-Harlingen 10.9 (10.9)

College Station-Bryan 5.8 (5.9)

Corpus Christi 8.0 (8.0)

Dallas-Plano-Irving 8.1 (8.2)

El Paso 9.3 (9.4)

Fort Worth-Arlington 8.1 (8.2)

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown 8.3 (8.4)

Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood 7.3 (7.3)

Laredo 8.5 (8.8)

Longview 7.4 (7.5)

Lubbock 5.7 (5.9)

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 11.2 (11.1)

Midland 5.4 (5.6)

Odessa 8.2 (8.4)

San Angelo 6.1 (6.5)

San Antonio-New Braunfels 7.1 (7.3)

Sherman-Denison 8.3 (8.4)

Texarkana 7.4 (7.4)

Tyler 7.5 (7.6)

Victoria 7.6 (7.7)

Waco 6.8 (6.9)

Wichita Falls 7.6 (7.8)