In late June, Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area reported that the local labor force across Central Texas had grown by 15,589 residents since May 2024.
The specifics
As of May, the unemployment rate in Bastrop County was 3.6%—a figure that was 3.2% in April, 3.6% in March and 3.8% in February, according to Texas Workforce Commission data.
This latest increase mirrored several other Central Texas counties, as the unemployment rates for eight neighboring counties all rose at least 0.2 percentage points from April.
- Blanco County
- Burnet County
- Hays County
- Lee County
- Williamson County
- Fayette County
- Caldwell County
- Llano County
However, each of the nine counties that Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area assists were still below the statewide unemployment rate of 4%, according to data.
Also of note
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently touted Texas as the No. 1 state in the nation for job creation.
“Texas is America’s undisputed jobs engine,” he said in a statement in late June. “Texas again leads the nation for the most jobs created over the last 12 months. Working with the Texas Legislature, we had the most successful legislative session that furthered pro-growth policies, expanding career and technical training programs and removing unnecessary regulatory barriers for businesses.”
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area has a career center for residents seeking employment at 53 Loop 150 in Bastrop.
