Rural Capital Area Unemployment Drops for Third Straight Month to 2.9% in September
Oct 24, 2022
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area
CEDAR PARK, Texas ⎯ The unadjusted unemployment rate in the Rural Capital Area of Central Texas continued its trend downward for a third consecutive month in September 2022, dropping to 2.9 percent, down from 3.1 percent in August, according to figures released by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The 2.9 percent unemployment rate in the nine-county Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA) represented 17,864 residents seeking employment, with more than 31,113 open jobs across all industries.* The region’s unemployment in September remained below the Texas (3.8 percent)** and national (3.3 percent)** rates.
Within the WSRCA counties, Blanco recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 2.5 percent (down from 2.6 percent in August), followed by Burnet and Williamson counties at 2.8 percent (down from 2.9 percent and 3.0 percent, respectively). Hays County was at 2.9 percent (down from 3.1 percent), while Bastrop and Caldwell counties were at 3.2 percent (down from 3.5 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively). Lee County was at 3.3 percent (down from 3.4 percent), as Fayette County came in at 3.4 percent (down from 3.5 percent). Llano County was at 3.6 percent unemployment in September (down from 3.8 percent in August).
For a deeper dive into regional unemployment claims by demographics, skills impact, and zip code, please visit TWC’s resources.
Historically, for every dollar invested by WSRCA in workforce development programs, there is a return of $2.91 put back into the communities of the nine-county region from wages. For every dollar invested in early learning child care scholarships, there is a return of $1.19 put back into the local communities from job retention and additional earnings.
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, LinkedIn Learning, and the Dynamic Works Institute’s 5-Minute Countdown Series.
Early care and education is 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 provides professional development opportunities for early care and education providers. Child care assistance is available for families searching for work, those who are 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’re 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 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.
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.
*Source: JobsEQ® - Online job postings across nine counties active from 9/01/2022 to 10/21/2022
**All unemployment rates listed are not seasonally adjusted.
