Austin Unemployment Rate Rises in June

The Texas Workforce Commission puts the Central Texas jobless rate at 7.6 percent in June, up 0.8 percent over May.  Despite that, the Workforce Commission reports that 1,400 new private sector jobs were created in Austin last month. Lisa Givens, a commission spokesperson, says it's not uncommon to see both the unemployment rate and the number of newly-created jobs rise at the same time.

“While it does paint a confusing picture for some, they are two indications of what’s going on in the Texas labor market," Givens told KUT News. "So it is important that we’re seeing consistent job growth. I wouldn’t worry too much about the unemployment rate unless it continues to rise. While we have seen a rise overall, it has been steadily decreasing."  

In the Austin area, many of the new jobs came in the mining, logging, construction and leisure and hospitality sector. Government jobs took a hit, losing 1,100 jobs in June, mainly on the federal and state levels.

Statewide, the unemployment rate edged up 0.2 percent in June, to settle at 8.2 percent. The state also added 32,000 jobs in June.