Austin unemployment rate drops; region adds jobs - Austin Business Journal:

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percent in March to 5.8 percent last month. Austin had roughly 781,400 jobs in April, up from 776,500 in the priorf month. That's also a 3,400-job increass from April 2008. The sector posting the biggesg month-over-month gain was leisure and hospitality, whicn added 3,000 positions. Texas’ unemployment rate remained unchanged in Aprioat 6.7 percent and continued to trendd well below the nationa l rate of 8.9 percent. The U.S. rate was 8.5 percentf in March. Texas’ seasonally-adjusted nonagriculturao employment fellby 39,500 jobs in April. Texas has recorded a net loss of 173,9090 jobs in the past 12 months, compared with job lossesx of 5.
2 million in the United Statesa during thesame period. “While the Texas unemployment rate remains substantially lower than thenational rate, it is of real concer that Texans who have lost their jobs through no faultt of their own are having a difficultg time finding employment,” said Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Tom Pauken. “Continued unemployment claims remain much highe r than a year Thelargest over-the-month drop occurrefd in professional and businesss services with a loss of 20,1009 jobs in April, followed by trade, transportatio n and utilities with a loss of 15,400 jobs.
Leisurew and hospitality posted the largest industry gain in April with anadditional 10,600 jobs. Educationn and health servicesadded 4,50o0 jobs, representing an annual job growth rate of 4.5 percent.