AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ unemployment rate has declined for the third month in a row to 4.9 percent in November as the state continues to add jobs, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday. In the Fort Worth-Arlington area, the unemployment rate was 4.5 percent for the month, down from 4.7 percent a month earlier and down from 5.6 percent a year earlier.
In the Dallas-Plano-Irving area, the unemployment rate was 4.6 percent, down from 4.8 percent a month earlier and down from 5.7 percent a year earlier. The state added 34,800 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in November for a total of 441,200 jobs added since last year.
The November seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was slightly lower than the 5.1 percent reported in October, and down from 6.1 percent a year ago. The rate was 5.2 percent in September and 5.3 percent in August.
“The Texas economy continued its record-breaking expansion, providing job opportunities across a wide range of industries,” Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar said. He added that “we must continue to focus our efforts on expanding our state’s skilled workforce to meet employer needs in high-demand industries.”
Seven of 11 major industries added jobs in Texas over the month, including an additional 13,500 jobs in professional and business services, 7,200 jobs added in education and health services and 6,000 jobs added in leisure and hospitality.
In November, employers added 4,500 manufacturing jobs, marking the industry’s largest monthly increase since January 2006. Construction grew by 3,600 jobs. The information industry added 3,300 jobs in November and includes jobs in publishing, telecommunications, data processing, hosting and related services.
Midland had the lowest unemployment rate in November, at 2.3 percent. The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area had the highest, at 8.2 percent.