City, county still lower than Texas, nation

The unemployment rate for the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) fell to the fourth lowest in the state last month at a rate of 3.0 percent, according to figures compiled by the Texas Workforce Commission.

Coming in first place was the oil-rich Midland MSA, which registered a jobless rate of 2.2 percent. Second and third were the Amarillo and Odessa MSAs, which saw, respectively, 2.8 and 2.9 percent unemployment rates.

Locally, San Marcos had an August jobless rate of 3.6 percent. In July it was 3.5 percent and in August, 2017, 3.7 percent. Hays County’s August rate of unemployment was 3.2 percent, unchanged from July. In August of last year, the county had a jobless rate of 3.3 percent. All those figures are not seasonally adjusted, the TWC cautioned.

Texas, meanwhile, had an unemployment rate of 3.percent in August and 4.0 percent in July. In August of 2017 the jobless rate was 4.4 percent. Nationally the August rate was 3.9 percent, compared to 4.1 percent in July and 4.5 percent in August 2017.

Statewide, the TWC says Texas added 32,000 seasonally-adjusted “nonfarm” jobs, marking 26 consecutive months of employment growth. “Over the year, Texas added 394,500 jobs,” the TWC said, adding that private sector employers “added 32,800 positions over the month.”

Regarding individual sectors of the economy, the state’s “goods producing” industries had a growth rate of 64 percent. “Goods producing includes manufacturing, which added 3,200 jobs; mining and logging, which added 2,700 jobs; and construction, where 900 jobs were added.

In the “service providing” sector, professional and business services added 10,300 jobs over the month; trade, transportation and utilities added 8,700 positions; and education and health services grew by 5,300 jobs.