Are you unemployed? You’re not alone, as number of Texans out of work hits record high
As Texas continues reopening for business, new statistics show that the state has hit the highest jobless rate — 12.8% —in recent history because of the coronavirus pandemic.
That’s worse than the previous high, when the state’s monthly unemployment rate reached 9.2% in November 1986 during the oil bust, federal statistics show.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a measurable effect on the Texas economy,” Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Bryan Daniel said in a statement.
In the Fort Worth-Arlington area, the unemployment rate for April was 13.1%, which is slightly above the statewide unemployment rate of 13%, but lower than the nation’s 14.4%, TWC statistics show.
Last April, the unemployment rate in the Fort Worth-Arlington area was 2.8%. In Texas, it was 3%.
Daniel and other officials say they are optimistic that the numbers will go down in the coming months as more businesses reopen their doors.
“While we will continue to provide assistance to those seeking unemployment benefits, many employers are hiring and TWC is working to provide resources to job seekers as well as employers as the state opens up,” Daniel said.
State and local officials called on businesses to close in March, as the novel coronavirus began spreading through the state. As a result, a record number of workers were laid off, some temporarily and some permanently.
Those Texans turned to the TWC for assistance, swamping the system.
Between March and April, more than 1.8 million Texans applied for unemployment relief, more than had applied during all of last year.
Anyone impacted may still apply for benefits, or check the status of claims, at any time online at ui.texasworkforce.org. Texans also may apply for benefits by phone, at 800-939-6631.
“As Texas continues to open, TWC is committed to providing job seekers the resources and opportunities needed to adapt to our changing economy,” Julian Alvarez, the TWC commissioner representing labor, said in a statement. “To help connect workers with available jobs, staff at workforce centers across the state are available to provide virtual job-search assistance.”
