August Unemployment Rate Drops For Lubbock & South Plains, Remains Steady for Texas

Unemployment rates in many areas across the state have dropped, but the state’s rate has remained steady.

The Texas unemployment rate held at 7.1 percent for August 2012 from July, down from August 2011’s rate of 8.1 percent, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

The unemployment rate for the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Lubbock and Crosby Counties, is at 5.8 percent, down from July 2012’s 6.4 percent, and down further from August 2011’s 6.6 percent.

Job losses were seen in some sectors in the Lubbock MSA, with the service providing sector losing 600 jobs from July 2012 into August. The hardest-hit portion is the trade, transportation and utilities group, which showed a job a drop of 300 jobs.

Jobs were gained in the Lubbock MSA within the government sector, with both state and local government adding 100 jobs each. Over the past year, state government has shed 800 jobs, and local government has dropped 100 jobs.

The overall South Plains unemployment rate is at 5.9 percent, down from July’s 6.6 percent, and down more from August 2011’s 6.8 percent. The highest unemployment rates across the South Plains include Dickens County at 9.5 percent and Cochran County at 8.3 percent.

The lowest unemployment rate in the South Plains is in Yoakum County, at 3.7 percent.

Statewide, the highest unemployment rate is in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area at 11.7 percent, down from July’s 12.3 percent and August 2011’s 12.5 percent.

The lowest non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate across Texas is in Midland, which posted a low 3.8 percent, down from July’s 4.2 percent and August 2011’s 4.5 percent.

The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area posted a 5.9 percent unemployment rate, declining from July’s 6.4 percent and August 2011’s 7.1 percent.

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area’s unemployment rate is at 6.9 percent, a drop from July’s 7.4 percent and an 8.1 percent rate from the same period last year.

Rate decreases were also seen in the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown area, posting a 7 percent unemployment rate for August 2012, down from July’s 7.5 percent and August 2011’s 8.4 percent.

The August unemployment rate for the United States is 8.1 percent.