The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) reported tepid job growth in April 2021. According to the TWC, Texas added 13,000 jobs for the month. This is slightly more than half the number of jobs typically added when the economy performs well.
Statewide, the average unemployment rate dropped to 6.7% from a pandemic high of 12.7%. The highest unemployment rates in the state are in McAllen (10.3%), Odessa (9.9%), and Beaumont (9.9%). Amarillo (4%), Austin (4.5%), and College Station (4.6%) recorded the lowest unemployment rates.
TWC also reports that Texas is still down 445,000 jobs from the start of the pandemic, while 1,007,100 jobs of the jobs lost in April and May 2020 returned.
Service jobs showed the biggest increase, with 30,500 new jobs in April, with Construction jobs showing the biggest decline at 13,600 fewer jobs.