Unemployment rate at highest mark since July 2010

Scurry County’s June unemployment rate hit a number local officials have not seen since July 2010.
According to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), the June unemployment rate was 6.7 percent, the highest since the July 2010 rate of 6.7 percent. Last month, the county had 7,816 people in the workforce and 521 were classified as unemployed. In July 2010, the county had 8,267 people in the workforce and 550 were unemployed.
In May 2016, the county’s unemployment rate was 5.6 percent with 7,785 people in the workforce and 433 classified as unemployed.
June’s total of 521 unemployed people is the highest this year, according to TWC figures.
Scurry County, as well as surrounding counties, have an unemployment rate higher than the state (4.5 percent) and U.S. (4.9 percent). Other counties above the state rate are Dawson, 4.6 percent; Andrews, 5 percent; Nolan, 5.1 percent; Howard, 5.9 percent; and Mitchell, 7.1 percent.
Kent County had the lowest rate in the region at 2.7 percent followed by Borden County at 3.6 percent. Garza County’s unemployment rate was 4 percent and Coke County was listed at 3.1 percent.
Statewide, Texas has added an estimated 171,100 seasonally adjusted jobs over the past year with the addition of 7,200 non-farm jobs in June. The state has added jobs in 14 of the last 15 months.
“I am encouraged by our state’s continued job growth, with Texas employers adding jobs in nine of 11 industries over the past year,” said TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar. “Texas Workforce Solutions is committed to advancing partnerships and providing innovative solutions to our employers and workforce to keep our state the best place to work and do business.”
The Amarillo and Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) recorded the month’s lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 3.3 percent, followed by the Sherman-Denison and Lubbock MSAs each with rates of 3.9 percent in June.
The Abilene MSA had a rate of 4.2 percent while the Midland MSA was listed at 4.6 percent. The Odessa MSA rate was 6.7 percent in June.