The Texas unemployment rate continues to fall, but the economic shutdown is still hitting the Lone Star State hard.
The Texas Workforce Commission says the state is steadily adding jobs. The May numbers show Texas added 291,000 private sector jobs, and had a roughly 13% unemployment. That’s just under the national average of 13.3%.
However, the greater Houston area, in particular, had a higher unemployment rate: 13.9%. However, the local Workforce Solutions says companies are starting to hire and rehire in our local area. Hotels, restaurants and bars have called on workers to come back, and the local health care industry is picking up.
Workforce Solutions Economist Parker Harvey says there remains one vital industry that has yet to recover.
“Continued low oil prices, rig count that has collapsed by over 75% over the last 18 months. That will continue to weigh on us here,” Harvey said.
Despite the challenges, about one out of every five Houstonians who lost their jobs amid COVID-19 is working again.