Texas has added 306,000 jobs since last April, new estimates show

Texas employers have added 306,000 jobs over the last year.

The state’s year-over-year 2.2% growth rate outpaces the national rate by 0.4 percentage points. April marked Texas’ 37th consecutive month of positive annual job growth, according to new estimates from the Texas Workforce Commission.

That includes 42,600 nonfarm jobs added across the state in April.

“Texas continues to set economic records as employers add jobs across industries,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “TWC is working to improve programs and services to support our state’s ongoing success.”

Texas’ seasonally adjusted civilian labor force grew by 37,000 people, reaching a new high of 15,226,800. It included adding 32,500 employed Texans in April.

The jobless rate dropped across all of the state’s metropolitan statistical areas, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Midland area saw a 0.4 percentage point drop in unemployment, positioning it as the area with the lowest unemployment rate at a not seasonally adjusted rate of 2.2% in April.

Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate registered at 4%. While the state’s not adjusted 3.5% unemployment rate mirrors the national rate, it shows a dip from March’s 4.1% rate. Dallas-Fort Worth clocked in a slightly lower unemployment rate at 3.4% in April.

Of the jobs added in April, 12,000 belonged to the private education and health services sector. It was the industry with the largest over-the-month increase. Another nearly 10,000 positions were added in the trade, transportation and utilities sector.