Texas added 56,600 jobs in October as the unemployment rate in the state dropped from 5.6 percent to 5.4 percent, the Texas Workforce Commission reports.
Jobless rates in the Valley continue to improve as well, although they remain among the highest in the state.
The Brownsville-Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area showed an October rate of 7.1 percent, also down .02 percent from the previous month.
The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission MSA unemployment rate dropped from 8.0 percent to 7.6 percent in October.
Statewide, Texas has added 661,300 jobs in the past year, posting job creation gains in 17 of the last 18 months.
“Our labor market numbers continue to signal that Texas has jobs for those looking to take the next step in their career,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel.
In October, the Professional and Business Services industry gained 21,900 jobs. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 15,000 positions. Other services, which includes the repair and maintenance sector as well as membership associations and organizations, added 9,100 jobs.
“Opportunities in Texas continue to grow, and TWC is here to put all Texans on a path toward finding not just a job, but a career,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez.
The Amarillo MSA recorded October's lowest unemployment rate among Texas areas with a rate of 3.3 percent, followed by the Austin-Round Rock MSA at 3.4 percent and College Station-Bryan at 3.7 percent.
The McAllen-area MSA was tied with Beaumont-Port Arthur for the state’s highest rate at 7.6 percent. Those areas were followed by Brownsville-Harlingen at 7.1 percent and Odessa at 6.7 percent.
