STAFF REPORT
More Kyle residents went back to work in October as the city’s unemployment rate fell below 6 percent for the first time since May.
The city’s jobless rate was 5.7 percent for the month, compared to 6.2 percent in September and 5.3 percent in October 2010, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.
Kyle employers have added 165 jobs in the past year, as the city’s labor force has grown by 219 workers since October 2010.
Hays County’s unemployment rate also fell to 7 percent in October from 7.5 percent in September, adding 151 jobs over the month. The rate was slightly worse than the 6.9 percent rate from October 2010.
The jobless rate for the Austin metro area fell to 7.1 percent in October from 7.5 percent in September and 6.9 percent in October 2010. The workforce commission does not publish unemployment rates for smaller cities such as Buda.
Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.4 percent in October, down slightly from 8.5 percent in September, and remains below the national unemployment rate of 9.0 percent.
“Private employers continue to invest their capital in the growing Texas workforce,” Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Tom Pauken said in a prepared statement. “The private sector has added an impressive 286,200 jobs since October 2010, for a growth rate of 3.4 percent.”
Over the year, nine of the 11 major industries have added jobs. Mining and logging employment climbed for the 11th time in the past 12 months with an estimated increase of 4,500 jobs in October. Over the past year, mining and logging has grown by 20.5 percent.
Government employment declined by 11,000 jobs in October, bringing the number of government jobs lost over the year to 54,600 jobs.
