For the third straight month, the statewide seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate remained at 4.0 percent while the Texas economy added 657,600 positions annually in November, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.
Fayette County’s unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) fell one-tenth of a percent, from 3.5 in October to 3.4 in November. Six of eight surrounding counties also saw their rates decrease slightly while Caldwell County had a .10 percent increase and Gonzales County’s stayed the same. Washington County had the highest unemployment rate in the area at 3.8 percent in November. The lowest rate, 3.1 percent, was shared by Bastrop, Gonzales, and Lee counties.
In November 2022, Texas added a total of 33,600 jobs to reach 13,672,900, one year after first hitting an all-time high and surpassing the prepandemic jobs count in November 2021. “Texas continues to set employment records thanks to our growing workforce and worldclass employers,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “The growth we’ve seen in the Lone Star State in the past year leads the nation.” Leisure and Hospitality led job growth in November with 20,200 positions added, followed by Education and Health Services, which grew by 5,400 jobs.Also of note, Mining and Logging employment added 3,800 jobs over the month and expanded by 22.7 percent since November 2021.