Texas reaches record employment of more than 13M jobs in December 2021

AUSTIN, Texas — The Lone Star State ended 2021 with a second consecutive month of record-setting employment at more than 13 million jobs and an unemployment rate of 5%, the Texas Workforce Commission has reported.

“It’s important to note here that Texas has not only recovered from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on job growth but is now surpassing the employment levels of pre-pandemic Texas,” said Robert Allen, President and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation in Austin.

In December, the seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate of 5.0% represented a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from November 2021. Texas added 50,000 nonagricultural jobs over the month, making gains in 19 of the past 20 months. Texas has reached another record employment level of 13,059,600 jobs in December. Since December 2020, the state has added 694,400 positions.

“Texas has the second largest workforce in the nation, which is a key factor that businesses consider when deciding to relocate to or expand here. A second consecutive month of record-setting employment underscores the Lone Star State’s economic strength and its ability to create jobs in diverse industry sectors in markets of all sizes,” Allen said.

In December, the Construction industry gained 10,400 jobs over the month. Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 7,300 positions. Financial Activities added 7,200 jobs.

The Amarillo and Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) recorded December’s lowest unemployment rates among Texas MSAs with a not seasonally adjusted rate of 2.9% percent, followed by College Station-Bryan at 3.2%, then Abilene and Lubbock each at 3.3%.

Employment estimates released by TWC are produced in cooperation 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 TexasLMI.com.

Source: Texas Workforce Commission