AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas unemployment rate rose slightly in March to reach 5 percent.
The Texas Workforce Commission on Friday reported that compares to a statewide jobless rate of 4.9 percent in February. Nationwide unemployment was 4.5 percent in March.
In Fort Worth-Arlington the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in March, the same as February, but up slightly from a year earlier where the rate was 4 percent.
In the Dallas-Plano-Irving metropolitan area, the rate was 4.2 percent in March, down slightly from 4.3 percent in February and up from a year earlier when it was 3.7 percent.
A commission statement says Amarillo had the lowest unemployment rate statewide last month at 3.5 percent. The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area had the highest jobless rate for Texas during March at 8.5 percent.
Commission officials say the Texas economy expanded in March with the addition of 9,500 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs.
Chairman Andres Alcantar says Texas employers continue to boost the state’s diverse economy by adding jobs, including 249,000 over the year.