Texas job creation continues

​​​​​​COLLEGE STATION – Texas’ pace of job creation continued to exceed the nation’s last month, according to the Real Estate Center’s latest Monthly Review of the Texas Economy​.

The state gained 266,600 nonagricultural jobs from May 2016 to May 2017, an annual growth rate of 2.2 percent, higher than the nation’s employment growth rate of 1.6 percent. The nongovernment sector added 233,200 jobs, an annual growth rate of 2.3 percent, higher than the nation’s employment growth rate of 1.8 percent in the private sector.

Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate last month was 4.8 percent, up from 4.7 percent a year ago. The nation’s rate decreased from 4.7 to 4.3 percent.

All Texas industries except the information industry had ​​more jobs. The mining and logging industry ranked first in job creation followed by transportation, warehousing, and utilities; professional and business services; education and health services; leisure and hospitality; and financial activities.

All Texas metro areas except Odessa, Beaumont-Port Arthur, San Angelo, Wichita Falls, Longview, and Texarkana had more jobs. Dallas-Plano-Irving ranked first in job creation followed by Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, Austin-Round Rock, El Paso, Tyler, Fort Worth-Arlington, Laredo, and College Station-Bryan.

The state’s actual unemployment rate​​ was 4.4 percent. Amarillo had the lowest unemployment rate followed by Austin-Round Rock, College Station-Bryan, Lubbock, Midland, and San Antonio-New Braunfels.