Texas unemployment increases to 4.6 percent for November

The Texas unemployment rate for November rose to 4.6 percent, marking the third straight month of higher jobless figures statewide, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday.

The state jobless rate rose from 4.4 percent in October and 4.2 percent in September. The nationwide jobless rate for November was 5.0 percent.

Texas added 16,300 jobs in November, and has now experienced job growth i n 9 of 11 months in 2015. But the state’s civilian labor force continued to expand, allowing the unemployment rate to expand.

Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar says Texas employers have added 179,300 jobs over the past year, highlighting the diversity of the state’s economy and job market.

Statewide, construction logged the biggest job gains, 9,000, while mining and logging, which includes the oil and has industry, added 1,600 jobs. The mining sector still remains down 30,300 jobs from a year ago.

In Fort Worth-Arlington, the number of jobs expanded by 3,000 from October, but is still down 10,800 from November 2014, reflecting the impact of lower oil prices on area companies. The area unemployment rate, which is not seasonally adjusted, was 4.1 percent.

On the Dallas side of the Metroplex, where the job market has been stronger this year, the number employed expanded by 9,500 from October and the unemployment rates was 3.9 percent. Dallas-Irving-Plano has added 20,700 jobs in the past year.

Amarillo had the lowest unemployment rate in Texas last month at 3.2 percent. The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area had the highest jobless rate statewide at 8.0 percent.

This story was originally published December 18, 2015 at 10:13 AM with the headline "Texas unemployment increases to 4.6 percent for November."