Growth of Rural Capital Area Labor Force, Employment in February Overshadow Slight Uptick in Unemployment Rate
Mar 24, 2023
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area
CEDAR PARK, Texas ⎯ The number of Central Texans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose moderately in February 2023, overshadowed by sharp climbs in the overall labor force and employment across the region, according to figures released today by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). February’s unadjusted unemployment rate crept up to 3.8 percent from the 3.4 percent rate recorded in January, within the nine-county Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA), reflecting 24,867 residents seeking employment, with more than 26,306 recent online job postings across all industries.* The region’s unemployment rate remained below both the Texas (4.5 percent)** and national (3.9 percent)** rates, fueled by a swelling labor force of over 21,560 new workers and an employment recovery of 17,869 jobs filled across the region compared to the same time last year. Rural Capital Area Employers have added 2,347 new employees since January.
Within the WSRCA counties, Blanco recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 3.4 percent (up from 3.0 percent in January 2023), followed by Burnet County at 3.3 percent (up from 3.3 percent). Hays and Williamson counties came in at 3.8 percent unemployment (up from 3.4 percent, and 3.3 percent, respectively). Bastrop County was at 3.9 percent (up from 3.5 percent), while Fayette County was at 4.0 percent (up from 3.7 percent), and Lee County was at 4.1 percent (up from 3.7 percent). Caldwell County saw an unemployment rate of 4.2 percent in February (up from 3.8 percent), and Llano County was at 4.5 percent (up from 4.0 percent in January).
For a deeper dive into regional unemployment claims by demographics, skills impact, and zip code, please visit TWC’s resources.
The WSRCA team is eager to help you find workforce solutions. Visit a Rural Capital Area career center near you to empower your workforce journey. Services are also available virtually to meet your immediate workforce needs. Utilize our Interactive Skill-Based Career Progression Lattices and work with our teams to develop a customized training plan to help enhance your skills and create sustainable career outcomes.
Are you looking for work? The Workforce Wednesdays Virtual Career Expo connects employers and job seekers at weekly online hiring events. Workforce Wednesdays represent a collective effort among Rural Capital Area communities and industries to empower our workforce through virtual interactive events. Employers looking to host free hiring booths and interview sessions should email the WSRCA Business Services Team at businessservices@ruralcapital.net.
There’s no better time to ramp up your skills and marketability for local careers in high-demand industries. Through our partnerships, WSRCA offers over 20,000 free online courses in various occupations through SkillUp Rural Capital, Metrix Learning, and LinkedIn Learning.
Early care and education are essential to the development of children. We understand that quality child care is expensive. Next to housing, child care is the largest expense in most families’ budgets. Through federal, state, and local funding, WSRCA’s Child Care Services Team provides Early-Learning Child Care Tuition Scholarships for eligible families and offers professional development opportunities for early care and education providers. Child care assistance is available for families searching for work, those working, and those looking to train for careers in high demand. Local child care providers are enrolling today; give your family the support and financial relief you need. You are not taking a spot from anyone else—apply today at https://bit.ly/childcarehelpnow.
Central Texans throughout the Rural Capital Area also have a new way to connect with customized workforce solutions from the convenience of their smartphones. The WSRCA Mobile App is a first of its kind in Central Texas. It seamlessly links Workforce Solutions customers with no-cost services for job seekers, employers, and families seeking early-learning child care tuition assistance. The application’s rich feature set offers residents an all-in-one platform to engage with workforce center staff, explore upskilling tools, review workshop calendars, register for weekly hiring events, and apply for immediate jobs on WorkinTexas. Additional resources include access to Jobs Now Employer Spotlights, and WSRCA Customer Testimonials, with new value-driven content added to the application regularly. Anyone can download the easy-to-use application through the iOS App Store and the Google Play Marketplace.
We are proud to continue innovating our service offerings to maximize our ability to deliver customized and sustainable outcomes for you. For more information, please visit WSRCA at www.workforcesolutionsrca.com, call toll-free at 1-844-344-2780, and begin your job search on www.workintexas.com.
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.
*Source: JobsEQ® - Online job postings across nine counties active from 2/02/2023 to 3/24/2023
**All unemployment rates listed are not seasonally adjusted.
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About WSRCA:
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area is a nonprofit community partnership providing no-cost recruitment, employment services, and early-learning child care tuition scholarships to empower businesses, employers, and job seekers in the Rural Capital Area of Central Texas. This nine-county region includes Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano, and Williamson counties. For more details on WSRCA and the services it offers, visit www.workforcesolutionsrca.com.
