Texas unemployment continues to improve

The Texas labor market has surpassed its previous pre-pandemic employment high in February 2020 of 12,970,000 jobs by reaching 12,998,200 total nonagricultural jobs in November 2021, according to most recent report by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).

In November, Texas added 75,100 jobs, also marking gains in 18 of the last 19 months. Texas has added a total of 698,700 jobs since November 2020. The seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate was 5.2 percent, a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from October 2021.

"Texas continues to reach unprecedented milestones thanks to our unwavering commitment to economic freedom and our young, skilled, growing, and diverse workforce," said Governor Greg Abbott. "By reaching nearly 13 million jobs last month, Texas has surpassed our prepandemic employment levels — a remarkable achievement and testament to our welcoming business climate and strong workforce. We will continue to unleash the full might of our economy, attract new business investments, and ensure a more prosperous future for all who call Texas home."

In November, the professional and business services industry gained 22,900 jobs over the month. leisure and hospitality added 12,500 positions. Financial activities added 9,300 jobs.

"Reaching this milestone for job creation in Texas shows the strength of our economy," said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “The Lone Star State continues to create opportunities for Texans to succeed and TWC has many resources to help both employers and job seekers find success in our state.”

The Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) recorded November's lowest unemployment rate with a not seasonally adjusted rate of 3.1%, followed by the Austin-Round Rock MSA at 3.2 percent and College Station-Bryan at 3.5%.

Across the United States, unemployment rates were lower in November in 40 states and the District of Columbia and stable in 10 states, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-eight states and the District had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier and two states were little changed. The national unemployment rate, 4.2%, fell by 0.4 percentage point over the month and was 2.5 points lower than in November 2020.

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 16 states and was essentially unchanged in 34 states and the District of Columbia in November 2021. Over the year, 49 states and the District added nonfarm payroll jobs and one state was essentially unchanged.

This news release presents statistics from two monthly programs. The civilian labor force and unemployment data are modeled based largely on a survey of households. These data pertain to individuals by where they reside. The employment data are from an establishment survey that measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. These data pertain to jobs on payrolls defined by where the establishments are located.

Nebraska had the lowest jobless rate in November, 1.8%, followed by Utah, 2.1%. The rates in Georgia (2.8%), Nebraska (1.8%), Oklahoma (2.5%), Utah (2.1%), and West Virginia (4.0%) set new series lows. California and Nevada had the highest unemployment rates, 6.9% and 6.8%, respectively. In total, 18 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 4.2%, 17 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 15 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

In November, Arizona and Mississippi had the largest over-the-month unemployment rate decreases (-0.5 percentage point each), closely followed by California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, and Wyoming (-0.4 point each). Ten states had jobless rates that were not notably different from those of a month earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.

The largest unemployment rate decrease from November 2020 occurred in Hawaii (-4.3 percentage points). The next largest over-the-year jobless rate decreases were in New Jersey (-3.6 percentage points) and Massachusetts and West Virginia (-3.0 points each).

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 16 states and was essentially unchanged in 34 states and the District of Columbia in November 2021. The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+75,100), Florida (+51,100), and California (+45,700). The largest percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+0.8 percent), followed by Florida, Montana, New Jersey, and Texas (+0.6 percent each).

Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 49 states and the District of Columbia and was essentially unchanged in 1 state. The largest job increases occurred in California (+821,800), Texas (+698,700), and Florida (+485,600). The largest percentage increases occurred in Hawaii (+8.4 percent), Nevada (+7.4%), and Massachusetts (+5.8%).