By Anita Miller
Both the unemployment rate and the number of claims for jobless benefits fell in July, according to figures released by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) on Friday, Aug. 21.
Hays County and Kyle both saw decreases as well, with both staying under figures reported for the state as a whole.
Hays County’s July jobless rate was 7%, down from 7.7% in June, 11.8% in May and 12.8% in April. In March, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it was 3.9%, and it had been near that figure for many months prior.
In Kyle, the July rate was 7.1%, down from 7.6% in June, 11.8% in May and 13.3% in April. In March, Kyle’s rate was 3.8%.
Texas, the TWC said, had an unemployment rate of 8% in July, down from 11.1% in June, 13.3% in May and 14.7% in April. The pre-pandemic March rate was 4.4%.
The state’s lowest unemployment rate in July was the Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) at 5.1%. Next came the College Station-Bryan MSA at 5.8%.
The rate for the Austin-Round Rock MSA was 7.3%.
Regarding claims for unemployment benefits, claims filed in Hays County peaked at 2,475 during the week ending April 4. By the week that ended Aug. 8 that number had dropped to 241.
The largest number of claims filed statewide the week that ended Aug. 8 were from administration an support and waste management an remediation services (4,609) followed retail trade (4,116, accomodation and food service (3,945), health care and social assistance (3,815), and
construction (3,460).
