Rural Capital Area Unemployment Rate Drops to 4.5% in April from All-Time High of 11% a Year Ago
May 21, 2021
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area
CEDAR PARK, Texas ⎯ The unadjusted unemployment rate of the Rural Capital Area of Central Texas is continuing its downward trend to pre-pandemic levels after dropping to 4.5 percent in April 2021, a drop from the 5.3 percent rate reported in March and 11 percent recorded a year ago, according to figures released today by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The 4.5 percent unemployment rate in the nine-county Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA) represented 25,675 residents seeking employment. The region’s unemployment rate remained below Texas’ (6.3 percent) * and the national (5.7 percent) * rates.
All counties within the Rural Capital Area region saw unemployment rates drop in April. Blanco County recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 3.6 percent (down from 4.1 percent in April). Burnet County dropped to 4.0 percent (down from 4.8 percent), while Williamson and Lee Counties dropped to 4.4 percent (down from 5.1 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively). Hays County dropped to 4.5 percent (down from 5.3 percent), Bastrop and Fayette Counties slid to 4.8 percent (down from 5.7 percent and 5.5 percent respectively), while Caldwell and Llano Counties dropped to 5.3 percent (down from 6.0 percent and 6.3 percent respectively).
“We are excited to see the recovery of our Rural Capital Area economy continue to make strides,” said WSRCA CEO Paul Fletcher. “This collective community-wide effort is fueled by innovative local employers tapping into the talents of our world-class workforce, and we are proud to play an important role in job matching and upskilling our workforce to meet the needs of industry. Together we’re delivering solutions to strengthen opportunities for Central Texas families.”
The WSRCA team is eager to help you find workforce solutions and offers curbside and in-center assistance by appointment. Services continue to be available virtually. Utilize our Skill-Based Career Progression Lattices and work with our teams to develop a customized training plan to help you 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 their 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 online courses in various occupations through Metrix Learning, LinkedIn Learning, Academy, the Dynamic Works Institute’s 5-Minute Countdown Series. 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.
