“The state saw a contraction of 13,700 jobs in August, following four consecutive months of employment increases, including a revised increase of 25,800 jobs in July,” says Andres Alcantar, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission.
There were a few bright spots for Texas in August. Leisure and hospitality added 5,900 new positions, while professional and business services gained 4,000.
The state’s unemployment rate fell to 4.1, the lowest it’s been since January of 2001. The national jobless rate fell to 5.1 percent.