For the fourth time in five months, Scurry County’s unemployment rate was below 4 percent, according to figures released by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
In February, the county had 6,684 people in the workforce and 258 were classified as unemployed. The totals reflected an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent. The only time the rate was 4 percent or higher since September was January 2018 when it was 4 percent.
In February 2017, the county had an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent when 7,027 people were in the workforce and 402 were classified as unemployed.
Andrews County had the lowest rate in the region for February at 2.7 percent while Mitchell County had the highest rate at 5.1 percent.
Other county totals were Kent, 2.8 percent; Garza, 3.3 percent; Fisher, 3.5 percent; Nolan, 3.6 percent; Howard, 3.7 percent; Coke, 3.9 percent; Borden, 4.5 percent; and Dawson, 4.7 percent.
The Texas economy added 40,500 seasonally adjusted non-farm jobs in February, which marked 20 consecutive months of employment growth.
Over the year, Texas added 285,200 jobs for an annual employment growth rate of 2.3 percent in February.
Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4 percent in February and remains below the U.S. rate of 4.1 percent.
“We are encouraged to see the Texas economy continue to expand at a solid pace with Texas employers adding 40,500 jobs over the month for a total of 285,200 jobs gained over the year,” said TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar. “Texas’ continued addition of jobs demonstrates the competitive advantages and market opportunities available to our employers and world-class workforce to compete and succeed.”
The Midland Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) recorded the month’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 2.5 percent, followed by the Amarillo MSA with a rate of 2.9 percent. The Austin-Round Rock and College Station-Bryan MSAs were tied for the third lowest rate of 3 percent.