Texas added 29,000 non-agricultural jobs in January as the state jobless rate remained steady at 4.6 percent.
But the Rio Grande Valley region did not follow suit, with unemployment figures for Brownsville-Harlingen and the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission areas posting sharp increases.
The Brownsville-Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area’s jobless rate for the month rose to 7.6 percent from 6.6. percent.
The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission MSA continued its run as having the highest unemployment in the state, which rose to 9 percent from 7.8 percent.
“The Lone Star State continues to set new records for Texans in employment, with January’s total surpassing the record set in December,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “Texas has added nearly 700,000 jobs since January 2021, and while we can’t predict the future, job activity and hiring efforts by Texas employers continues to grow.”
In January, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities gained 12,000 jobs over the month. Leisure and Hospitality added 5,700 positions. Also of note, Information employment grew by 3,300 jobs.
The Amarillo and Austin-Round Rock MSAs recorded January’s lowest unemployment rates among Texas MSAs with 3.3 percent, followed by College Station-Bryan and Lubbock, each at 3.7 percent, and Abilene at 3.9 percent.
The MSA with the highest unemployment rate was McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, followed by Beaumont-Port Arthur at 8.5 percent and Brownsville-Harlingen.
The national jobless rate for January was 4.4 percent, up from 3.7 percent.
