Texas Ties New York For Most Job Losses In August

The U.S Labor Department reports that Texas tied New York for the most statewide job losses over the month of August. The government and trade and transportation sectors accounted for the biggest job losses in Texas last month, with each shedding 6,200 workers. Manufacturing and mining and logging lost more than 5,000 jobs apiece, chiefly in industries tied to oil exploration and production.

“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.