Texas added 12,900 jobs in June

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Texas added 12,900 non-farm jobs in June, with most positions being in the service industry, the state's workforce commission said Friday.

The state's overall unemployment rate stood at 7 percent. The rate for the Austin area was 6.4 percent.

“Since last year, the Texas economy has added more than 282,000 private sector jobs,” said Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar. “For nearly two years, employers in Texas have expanded their payrolls and kept the economic engine of Texas moving forward.”

Many industries added jobs in Texas, but the one that contributed the most with adding jobs was construction. That sector added 9,600 positions.

The construction industry has reported annual gains for six consecutive months. The industry has added 24,400 jobs over the year.

Other service industries including employment in equipment and machinery repair, personal care services, and social and civic organizations brought in 4,900 positions.

“Texas’ labor force continues to grow, and is at an all-time high of nearly 13 million workers and job seekers,” said Commissioner Ronny Congleton.

Congleton spoke about how people are beginning to “flock to Texas in search of jobs that employers are creating at a better rate than most other states.”

Texas grew with 3,400 jobs in the Education and Health service industries. This industry has brought 46,800 jobs to Texas within the last year.

In the finical industry, jobs have increased by 2,900 positions. Financial jobs have grown by 16,700 within the last year.

“Our state’s private sector has grown at a rate of 3.2 percent over the last year, compared to the national private sector’s annual growth rate of just 1.8 percent.”

The Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area showed the lowest unemployment rate in June with 4.3 percent.

Figures released by Texas Workforce shows that the unemployment rate has risen 0.1 percent from 6.9 percent in May to 7.0 percent in June.

The Texas Workforce Commission has a website where people can go to with help for job matching and tips on how to get recruited by companies.