Texas Unemployment Rate Falls to 5.9 Percent in August

Texas Workforce Commission • September 17, 2021

Tyler Rate 4.7%, Longview Rate 5.8%

In August, the seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate was 5.9 percent, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from July 2021. Texas added 39,300 total nonagricultural jobs over the month, making gains in 15 of the last 16 months. Texas added a total of 681,000 jobs since August 2020.


“The continued decrease in the unemployment rate and the positive job growth is good news for Texas,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “The demand for middle skills jobs -- those requiring less than a bachelor’s degree, but more than a high school diploma -- continues to grow and TWC is committed to ensuring the state's workforce has the tools needed to succeed in these high demand jobs.”


In August, the Professional and Business Services industry gained 29,600 jobs over the month. Education and Health Services employment added 17,800 positions. Also of note, Trade, Transportation and Utilities added 7,100 jobs.


“Our Texas workforce is resilient and opportunities to advance your career or start a new one continue to grow in our state,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “Thanks to TWC programs like skills training through Metrix Learning, Texans have access to over 5,000 free courses to learn or refine skills to land the new jobs created each month in Texas.”


The Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) recorded August’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a not seasonally adjusted rate of 3.6 percent, followed by the Austin-Round Rock MSA at 3.8 percent and Abilene, College Station-Bryan and Sherman-Denison MSAs each at 4.2 percent.


“The continued job growth in Texas shows employers are resilient and have succeeded in navigating the unique challenges of running a business,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “To support our Texas employers, TWC has a number of programs that offer employers assistance in attracting and retaining skilled talent and customized training that keeps Texas a top destination to do business.”


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.


The Texas Labor Market & Career Information Data for September is scheduled to be released on Friday, October 22, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. (CDT).


Civilian Labor Force Estimates for Texas Metropolitan Statistical Areas Not Seasonally Adjusted (In Thousands)


C.L.F. Employed Unemployed Rate
United States 161,788.0 153,232.0 8,556.0 5.3
Texas 14,192.5 13,433.4 759.1 5.3
Tyler 113.5 108.2 5.3 4.7
Longview 97.4 91.7 5.7 5.8
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