Houston unemployment rate steady at 8.8%

Houston Business Journal

Even with an unemployment rate of 8.2 percent, the Lone Star State is still faring better than most of the nation, the Texas Workforce Commission said Friday.

The seasonally adjusted U.S. unemployment rate is at 9.5 percent.

The Texas unemployment rate has held steady over the past two months, the TWC report said, as has Houston's unemployment rate - which was 8.8 percent in June and July. In July of 2009, Houston's unemployment rate was 8.3 percent.

Texas total nonagricultural employment grew by 4,600 jobs in July for a total of 168,900 jobs gained since January. “Private sector employers in Texas continued adding jobs in July, a trend we’ve seen since the first of the year,” said Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Tom Pauken. “Significant government job losses offset much of the gains in the private sector in July.”