Austin adds jobs in 2008

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Austin metropolitan area went against the tide of the economic downturn by adding jobs in 2008. A net of 6,200 jobs were added to the area payroll, in stark contrast to the rest of the nation, which saw 2.7 million jobs lost in 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Austin Chamber of Commerce .

The Austin number consists of corporate additions and and losses, but does not include businesses with fewer than 50 employees. They are not required to report employment data. In November of 2007, 609,700 people were employed in the metro area. November of 2008 showed a total of 615,900.

By way of comparison, for the same period in 2003, 513,100 people were employed in Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos and other surrounding cities. Austin is the 10th fastest growing workforce in the United States, according to the statistics bureau. The Dallas-Arlington area created the most jobs in the US between November 2007 and November 2008.