Scott Nishimura snishimura@bizpress.net
Texas employers added 20,100 jobs in August, and the state was up 395,200 non-farm jobs over the same month the prior year, the Texas Workforce Commission said Friday.
Seven of the state’s 11 major industry segments added jobs in August compared to July, and all were up over the prior year, the commission said.
The numbers reflect private employers “showing steady monthly growth for well over four years,” Andres Alcantar, the Workforce Commission chairman, said in a statement.
Goods-producing industries – construction, manufacturing, and mining and logging – added most of the jobs in August.
Construction was up 6,900 jobs over July, manufacturing, 1,800, and mining and logging, 4,500. Mining and logging is up 9.1 percent over the last 12 months.
The state unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in August, up from 5.1 percent in July. The national jobless rate was 6.1 percent.
Industry segments, August jobs, change over July, and change over the prior year:
Mining and logging: 320,500, up 4,500, up 26,700; Construction: 643,500, up 6,900, up 27,700; Manufacturing: 887,500, up 1,800, up 17,700; Trade, transportation and utilities: 2.34 million, up 2,400, up 89,200; Information: 207,700, down 600, up 5,700; Financial activities: 706,200, down 1,000, up 18,400; Professional and business services: 1.56 million, up 8,700, up 73,600; Education and health services: 1.54 million, up 7,500, up 53,200; Leisure and hospitality: 1.18 million, down 5,300, up 42,800; Other services: 402,900, up 200, up 5,600; Government: 1.8 million, down 5,000, up 34,000.
Fort Worth-Arlington unemployment was 5.4 percent in August, compared to 6.1 percent a year earlier.
Dallas-Plano-Irving unemployment rate was 5.5 percent, the same as July, but down from 6.3 percent a year earlier. The Midland area has the state’s lowest August unemployment rate at 2.8 percent.