Robust Texas Economy Adds 9,500 Jobs in March

More solid economic news for the Lone Star State: 9,500 nonfarm jobs were added to the Texas economy in March.

At the same time, Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5%. It was 4.9% the month before but that's a statistical wobble as far as I'm concerned.  Amarillo had the lowest unemployment at 3.5%. College Station-Bryan and Austin-Round Rock MSAs were slightly higher at 3.6%. Killeen/Temple by comparison

“Texas employers continue to boost the diverse Texas economy by adding jobs, including 249,000 over the year,” said Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chairman Andres Alcantar said in a release Friday. “Texans continue to have a range of workforce opportunities created by our innovative Texas employers, and I encourage job seekers and students to explore these opportunities with local workforce boards around the state.”

The largest growth areas were Professional and Business Services, Mining and Logging, and Construction.

“Texas employers continue to keep our state competitive with an overall private-sector annual job growth of 210,500 with 7,000 jobs added in March, said TWC Commissioner Representing Employer Ruth R. Hughs in the same release. “When Texas employers prosper, Texans prosper, and we want to ensure they have the resources they need to start, grow and thrive their businesses right here at home.”

A PDF of March 2017 Texas Employment stats from TWC stats is downloadable here. TWC's Unemployment numbers utilize data from with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. All estimates are subject to revision. To access this and more employment data, visit tracer2.com.