According to TWS, unemployment in the whole of the RCA—which includes Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano and Williamson counties—increased to 5.8% from a pandemic low of 4.8% in October.
In Hays County, unemployment increased to 6% from 5.1% during the same time period, while the number of unemployed people in the county's labor force of 122,802 increased from 6,181 to 7,343—an 18.8% jump.
Unemployment in November 2019 was 2.6%, with 1,134 unemployed workers—a roughly 547% year-over-year increase caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Additionally, community leaders and data have recently illustrated the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on Latino health and employment in Hays County.
Blanco County had the lowest unemployment rate for November at 4%, while Llano and Caldwell were tied for the highest among counties in the RCA at 6.5%. Texas unemployment was 8%, up from 6.7% a month earlier and from 3.4% a year earlier.
Unemployment increased from 5.6% to 6.2% in San Marcos between October and November, an increase from 1,914 to 2,121 unemployed workers.
In Kyle, unemployment increased from 5.3% to 6.4% for the same time period, with the number of unemployed rising from 1,376 to 1,688.
TWS data for the second quarter of 2020 indicated leisure and hospitality, information, and natural resources and mining were the industries hit hardest.
The full Workforce Solutions report is available online.
