Houston unemployment rate steady despite July losses

Houston Business Journal – by Christine Hall , Reporter

Date: Friday, August 19, 2011, 12:44pm CDT

The weekly job numbers are out from the Department of Labor, and the good news is that new jobless claims in the U.S. fell by 10,000, down to 382,000 for the week ending April 2.

More Houstonians joined the civilian labor force and left the ranks of the unemployed in July, according to figures released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission.

Houston added 7,700 people to the labor force between June and July, while 1,500 people were removed from the unemployment list.

Despite those additions, the commission on Friday reported a 0.4 percent loss in total nonfarm jobs between June and July.

The Houston area lost 9,200 nonfarm jobs as the government sector cut 14,300 jobs during the month. In addition, the professional and business services industry lost 1,800 jobs.

Sectors making hires included the mining and logging industry (1,300 jobs), manufacturing (1,700 jobs), education and health services (2,200 jobs) and other services (1,600 jobs).

The unemployment rate was down slightly to 8.9 percent from 9 percent in June.

Meanwhile, the Texas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 8.4 percent from 8.2 percent in June.

The state added 29,300 jobs during the month, which gave Texas the second-largest over-the-month increase in employment in the nation. New York gain just 100 more jobs in July.