Wednesday, October 22, 1997

Texas unemployment rate drops in September

AUSTIN (AP) -- The state's unemployment rate fell to 5.1 percent in September.

The Texas Workforce Commission reported Tuesday that the rate fell from August's 5.4 percent and was three-tenths of a percent lower than the September 1996 rate of 5.4 percent.

"Over the year, employer payrolls increased by 233,900 jobs, reflecting a very impressive growth rate of 2.8 percent," said Commissioner Diane Rath, who represents the public.

Of the state's various employment sectors, manufacturing added 2,100 jobs from August to September. The services industry added 6,600 jobs, the commission reported.

Unemployment dropped in all but two of the state's urban areas. The rate remained the same for Beaumont-Port Arthur (7.7 percent) and the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area (17.1 percent).

The lowest unemployment rate for September was recorded in Bryan-College Station, at 2 percent. That was down from the area's 2.3 percent rate in August.

The 17.1 percent rate in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission was the state's highest for September.

Rates of unemployment in the urban areas of Texas as announced by the TWC for September, compared with revised August figures (in parentheses) were:

Abilene 3.6 (4.0)

Amarillo 3.7 (3.8)

Austin-San Marcos 3.1 (3.2)

Beaumont-Port Arthur 7.7 (7.7)

Brazoria 7.0 (7.6)

Brownsville-Harlingen 11.6 (12.1)

Bryan-College Station 2.0 (2.3)

Corpus Christi 7.1 (7.5)

Dallas 3.7 (3.8)

El Paso 11.1 (11.6)

Fort Worth-Arlington 3.5 (3.7)

Galveston-Texas City 7.6 (8.1)

Houston 4.9 (5.0)

Killeen-Temple 5.0 (5.2)

Laredo 9.5 (9.6)

Longview-Marshall 7.3 (7.6)

Lubbock 3.6 (3.9)

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 17.1 (17.1)

Odessa-Midland 4.8 (5.1)

San Angelo 3.4 (3.5)

San Antonio 4.1 (4.4)

Sherman-Denison 4.4 (4.8)

Texarkana 7.0 (7.3)

Tyler 6.1 (6.3)

Victoria 4.5 (5.0)

Waco 4.6 (5.0)

Wichita Falls 4.1 (4.4)