October 22, 2021

Texas adds 95,800 jobs in September 2021

AUSTIN, TEXAS – In September, Texas added 95,800 total nonagricultural jobs, and the seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate was at 5.6%, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from August 2021, according to data released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission.

Texas has added a total of 711,500 jobs since September 2020, making gains in 16 of 17 months.

“The improvement we see in the unemployment rate this month continues the trend we’ve experienced the last six months,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “Businesses in Texas continue to create jobs, which creates career opportunities for Texans.”

In September, the Leisure and Hospitality industry gained 31,900 jobs over the month. Trade, Transportation and Utilities added 16,700 positions. Also of note, Professional and Business Services added 16,400 jobs. 

Economic growth in medium-sized cities

The Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) recorded September’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a not seasonally adjusted rate of 3.4%, followed by the Austin-Round Rock MSA at 3.5% and Abilene, College Station-Bryan and Lubbock MSAs each at 3.9%.

“Texas’s recovery from the pandemic is robust, but we’re also seeing the impact of growth in medium-sized MSAs — such as Abilene, Amarillo, Lubbock and College Station-Bryan — as well as our thriving urban areas,” said Robert Allen, President and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation in Austin. “This is in large part due to the work of regional economic development organizations in partnerships with cities, counties and other community organizations.”

TWC is also a key partner in Texas’s job growth, Allen said.

“TWC is creating programs responsive to the needs of existing and incoming businesses to ensure they are able to fill new jobs with a workforce trained to take jobs at all career levels,” Allen said.

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.