The Texas Workforce Commission released unemployment figures for the month of January this week which showed numbers are improving for the South Plains.
Lamb County’s unemployment rate improved to 4.5% with 4,833 people working and 226 unemployed in January.
In January, 2021, Lamb County had an unemployment rate of 5.9% with 4,884 people working and 305 unemployed.
In January, 2020, Lamb County had an unemployment rate of 3.9%, with 5,000 people working and 201 unemployed.
According to the TWC figures, Hockley County’s unemployment rate for January was 6.0% with 10,015 people working and 642 unemployed.
That is an improvement from the unemployment rate of 8.0% recorded in January, 2021 when 9,741 people were working and 842 were jobless.
Those numbers are in sharp contrast to the 3.0% unemployment rate reported in January, 2020 before the bottom fell out of the oil market and the Covid-19 pandemic hit. In January of that year, the county’s labor force numbered 11,130 with 10,808 people working and 329 out of work.
Cochran County’s unemployment rate also improved from 6.8% in January, 2021 to 6.3% in January of this year. TWC reported 930 people working in January with 63 unemployed.
In January, Cochran County had 991 people working and 72 unemployed.
In January, 2020, the county had an unemployment rate of 3.7% with 1,055 people working and just 41 unemployed.
Terry County’s unemployment rate improved from 7.4% in January, 2021 to 5.4% in January of this year. The county had 4,368 people working and 251 unemployed in the first month of the year.
In 2021, Terry County had 4,461 people working and 355 unemployed.
That compares to an unemployment rate of 3.7% in January, 2020 when 4,586 people were working and 178 were unemployed.
In January, Texas added 29,000 total nonagricultural jobs, making gains in 20 of the last 21 months. For the month, the state exceeded the previous record employment level set in December 2021 by reaching 13,084,400 jobs in January 2022.
Texas has added a total of 687,500 positions since January 2021.
The seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate for January 2022 was 4.8%, unchanged from a revised rate of 4.8% from December 2021.
“The Lone Star State continues to set new records for Texans in employment, with January’s total surpassing the record set in December,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “Texas has added nearly 700,000 jobs since January 2021 and, while we can’t predict the future, job activity and hiring efforts by Texas employers continues to grow.”
In January, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities gained 12,000 jobs over the month. Leisure and Hospitality added 5,700 positions. Also of note, Information employment grew by 3,300 jobs.
“Texas’ labor market continues to grow and change with the times, and TWC is here to provide our workforce with the re sources needed to succeed,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “Whether you’re a parent looking for childcare, a veteran seeking new skills training, or are an adult looking for literacy services, TWC is here to help all Texans.”
The Amarillo and Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) recorded January’s lowest unemployment rates among Texas MSAs with a not seasonally adjusted rate of 3.3%, followed by College Station-Bryan and Lubbock each at 3.7% percent, then Abilene at 3.9%.
The highest unemployment in the state was the Beaumont-Port Arthur MSA which had an 8.5% unemployment rate and Brownsville-Harlingen which had a 7.6% unemployment rate.
The Midland MSA had a 4.4% unemployment rate and the Odessa MSA had a 6.4% unemployment rate.
“Texas continues to add jobs month after month thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of our Texas employers,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “Whether you are a large employer or small business, TWC is here at both the state and local level to support our Texas employers with training and hiring resources that will help you grow, thrive, and remain successful in the great state of Texas.”
Employment estimates released by TWC are produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. All estimates are subject to revision. To access this and more employment data, visit TexasLMI.com.