The March unemployment rate held steady at 4.5 percent in the Longview metro market and at 4 percent in Texas as a whole, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday.
In the Longview market of Gregg, Rusk and Upshur counties, 4,400 people were out of work in March, the same number as in February. The market’s civilian labor force totaled 97,700 in March, down 100 since February.
The unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in March 2017 when 5,600 people were unemployed.
The rate has been falling from 5 percent this past fall, with mild fluctuations month to month, as the energy industry has rebounded with rising oil prices.
“We are in a growth mode right now,” said Richard Manley, chairman of the Longview Chamber of Commerce. “We have people coming back to the workforce who had been sitting on the sidelines.”
Manley said he expects the unemployment rate to decline over the next year with the arrival of a Dollar General distribution center, while other businesses, such as Komatsu and Nucor (both at the former Joy Global plant in South Longview), are adding jobs.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4 percent statewide remained below the national rate of 4.1 percent in March, the workforce commission reported. The Texas economy added 32,000 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in March, marking 21 consecutive months of employment growth.
Over the year, Texas added 294,100 jobs with 10 of 11 industries growing, making for an annual growth rate of 2.4 percent in March.
“Texas’ broad-based growth across industries provides exceptional opportunities for our highly skilled workforce and highlights the competitive strength of Texas employers,” TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar said in a statement.
The trade, transportation and utilities industry recorded the highest private-industry employment gain in March with 7,500 new positions. Professional and business services employment grew 6,200 jobs, while construction employment added 3,800 positions. Information lost 700 jobs.
The Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded the lowest unemployment rate in March among Texas MSAs with a nonseasonally adjusted rate of 2.4 percent, followed by the Amarillo and College Station-Bryan MSAs at 3 percent each.
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission reported the highest rate at 6.9 percent, followed by Beaumont-Port Arthur at 6.6 percent and Brownsville-Harlingen at 6.5 percent.
