The unemployment rate in Scurry County continues to decline, according to figures released by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
In October, the county had an unemployment rate of 3.2 percent, the lowest since 3.1 percent was reported in January 2015. According to WTC figures, Scurry County had 6,769 people in the workforce in October and 217 were unemployed.
The 2017 rate is down almost two full percentage points compared to October 2016 when it was 5.1 percent. In October 2016, the county had 7,418 people in the workforce and 375 were unemployed.
Kent County had the lowest unemployment rate in the region at 1.9 percent while Mitchell County had the highest at 4.3 percent.
Other county totals were Garza, 2.5 percent; Andrews, 2.6 percent; Borden, 2.8 percent; Coke, 2.8 Fisher, 3 percent; Nolan, 3.2 percent; Howard, 3.5 percent; and Dawson, 3.8 percent.
The Texas economy added 71,500 seasonally adjusted non-farm jobs in October. Annual employment growth for Texas was 2.6 percent in October, marking 90 consecutive months of annual growth.
Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent, setting a record for the lowest unemployment rate recorded in four decades.
“By adding an impressive 71,500 jobs over the past month and 316,100 jobs over the year, Texas employers have once again demonstrated their unmatched innovation and ability to achieve success in our country’s premier place to do business,” said TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar. “This economy provides valuable opportunities for the highly skilled Texas workforce to also achieve success.”
The Amarillo and Midland Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) recorded the month’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 2.4 percent, followed by the College Station-Bryan MSA with a rate of 2.5 percent. The Austin-Round Rock and Lubbock MSAs registered a rate of 2.6 percent for October.