Texas was also home to the nation’s highest job growth over the past year, at a rate of 5.4%. The state had 13.6 million jobs in October 2022 and 12.9 million jobs a year prior, according to a news release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Despite national economic headwinds, Texas grew jobs at the fastest rate in the nation over the past 12 months,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a news release. “Working together in the months ahead, we will continue to expand economic opportunity for all Texans.”
Texas’ unemployment rate was 4% in October, with no change from September. According to a news release from the Texas Workforce Commission, the unemployment rate is at its “lowest level since the February 2020 prepandemic rate of 3.5%.”
The TWC reported that two metropolitan statistical areas, Austin-Round Rock and Amarillo, had an unemployment rate of 2.8%, the lowest in the state.
According to the governor’s office, the state’s labor force participation rate—or the portion of working-age Texans who are employed or actively looking for work—was 63.6% in October. This was higher than the national rate of 62.2%, which was reported by the BLS.
The TWC and BLS release state employment and unemployment data each month. Data from November will be shared Dec. 16.
