Texas jobless claims jumped in latest labor report. But state made these historic gains

Despite gains in job growth across the country, including Texas, unemployment claims rose in the state compared to the prior week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor data.

New jobless claims in Texas increased to 15,509 in the week ending Sept. 14, up from 13,341 the week before, the Labor Department said.

Overall, U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 219,000 last week, down 12,000 claims from 231,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

The Texas unemployment rate is at 4.4%.

Job growth up in Texas

August employment data showed a surge in jobs, with Texas employers adding 78,000 jobs in the last month, according to Labor Department statistics. The state also led all states for jobs gained over the last months and over the last 12 months, data shows.

Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 30 states and was unchanged in 20 states and the District of Columbia. The largest job gains occurred in Texas (302,400), California (287,100), and Florida (207,400), Labor Department data said.

“Texas continues to lead the nation in innovation and job creation,” said Gov. Greg Abbott in a statement. “The rich diversity of our state is the foundation of our competitiveness.

With our young, skilled, diverse, and growing workforce and the broad range of world-class industries investing in Texas, our state is uniquely positioned to remain an economic leader and chart a course through evolving market demands towards an even brighter future.”

Inside Texas August job numbers

August jobs data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Texas Workforce Commission shows:

• Texas reached a new high with 15,398,400 jobs.
• Current employed Texans stand at 14,771,400.
• The Texas unemployment rate in August was 4.1 percent, 0.1 percentage point below the national rate.

Alaska saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 46.1%. Nebraska, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 44.2%.

This story was originally published September 20, 2024 at 3:34 PM.