Rural Capital Area Caps Off Year with 14,839 Jobs Added, December Unemployment Rate at 2.6%
Jan 24, 2020
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area
CEDAR PARK, Texas ⎯ The economy of the Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA) capped off another great year of positive employment growth in 2019, with 534 jobs added for the month of December, and 14,839 jobs created throughout the nine-county region since December 2018—an annual growth rate of 2.84 percent. The unadjusted unemployment rate for the WSRCA workforce development area dropped to 2.6 percent in December, down from 2.7 percent in November, according to figures released today by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The 2.6 percent unemployment rate represented 14,248 residents seeking employment in December. The region’s unemployment rate remained below both the Texas (3.3 percent)* and national (3.4 percent)* rates.
Within the WSRCA counties, Blanco recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 2.2 percent in December. Fayette County’s unemployment rate was at 2.3 percent. Burnet, Hays and Lee counties were at 2.5 percent, while Williamson County came in at 2.6 percent. Bastrop County was at 2.8 percent, Caldwell County was at 2.9 percent and Llano County was at 3.3 percent.
Key Points by Industry for the Rural Capital Area, according to the most recent labor market data:
- The Information Services Industry has experienced the greatest quarterly employment growth with an increase of 7 percent.
- Job gains were also experienced in the Construction Industry (5.1 percent), and the Leisure and Hospitality Industry (4.7 percent), as well as the Natural Resources and Mining Industry (4.5 percent).
- The Information Services Industry in the Rural Capital Area also experienced the greatest positive annual job growth with an increase of 15 percent.
- Significant positive annual job growth was also experienced in the Natural Resources and Mining Industry (10.6 percent), the Professional and Business Services Industry (9.6 percent), and the Construction Industry (8 percent).
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.
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