Rural Capital Area Caps Off 2021 by Recovering 34,474 Jobs, December Unemployment Rate Plummeting to Pandemic Low of 3.0%
Jan 21, 2022
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area
CEDAR PARK, Texas ⎯ The nine-county Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA) economy capped off another year of pandemic recovery in 2021, with 34,474 jobs created throughout the nine-county region since December 2020—an annual growth rate of 6.3 percent. The unadjusted unemployment rate for the WSRCA workforce development area plummeted to 3.0 percent in December, down from 3.3 percent in November, according to figures released today by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The 3.0 percent unemployment rate represented 18,121 residents seeking employment in December. The region’s unemployment rate remained below both the Texas (4.3 percent)* and national (3.7 percent)* rates, which both saw drops in December as well.
All counties within the Rural Capital Area region saw their unemployment rates decline in December. Among them, Blanco recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 2.6 percent. Williamson and Burnet counties both came in at 2.9 percent. Hays County was at 3.1 percent, while Bastrop County was at 3.3 percent. Caldwell County was at 3.5 percent, while Fayette and Lee counties both came in at 3.6 percent. Llano County was at 4.0 percent.
“We’re excited to see our talented regional workforce continue to fuel the economic recovery of our communities,” said WSRCA CEO Paul Fletcher. “But many of our neighbors still face barriers to their re-entry into the workforce. Our Board, and our community partners are committed to finding new ways to ensure local employers will have a highly skilled and educated workforce and our residents will have the competencies, skills, and education to become self-sufficient and live a quality life.”
For a deeper dive into regional unemployment claims by demographics, skills impact, and zip code, please visit WSRCA’s interactive COVID-19 Workforce Impact Report and review the Unemployment Claims Snapshot. To review unemployment claims data at the state level, 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 and continue to help the region compete globally.
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 more than 20,000 free online courses in various occupations through SkillUp Rural Capital, Metrix Learning, LinkedIn Learning, and the Dynamic Works Institute’s 5-Minute Countdown Series.
Work in the service industry and need child care assistance? The Service Industry Recovery Child Care Program offers 12 months of paid child care tuition scholarships for eligible workers employed in the Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Accommodation, Food Services, and Retail Trade industries. Learn more and apply today at https://bit.ly/sirchildcare.
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.
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area is a nonprofit community partnership providing no-cost recruitment, employment services, and childcare assistance to 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.
*All unemployment rates listed are not seasonally adjusted.
