Texas adds jobs in May but unemployment ticks up

Texas job growth rebounded in May after stalling for two months, but the unemployment rate still rose slightly to reach 4.3 percent after holding steady at 4.2 percent in March and April, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

Texas gained 33,200 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in May, bringing the over-the-year total to 286,400 jobs added, the commission reported Friday. Nonfarm employment declined by 25,400 jobs in March and was essentially flat in April as job reductions tied to lower oil prices rippled through the state.

May’s job gains came from employers in the state’s service-providing industries, the commission said, with the leisure and hospitality industry adding 16,000 jobs and education and health services showing the next biggest increase with 12,500 positions.

But manufacturing dropped 6,700 positions and mining and logging, which includes the oil and gas industry, lost 6,000 jobs.

In Fort Worth-Arlington, unemployment rose to 3.9 percent in May from 3.8 percent in April. Nationwide, unemployment last month was 5.5 percent.

Amarillo had the state’s lowest jobless rate during May at 2.9 percent. The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area had the highest statewide unemployment last month at 7.2 percent.

“Texas employers continue to provide job growth and this is great news for our state,” Commissioner Hope Andrade said. “Texas has so much to offer for veterans, job seekers and businesses that choose to locate here.”

This story was originally published June 19, 2015 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Texas adds jobs in May but unemployment ticks up."