County unemployment rate falls slightly

McALLEN — The unemployment rate fell slightly in October as Hidalgo County added 3,000 jobs.

The slight fall in the jobless rate to 11.2 percent, down from 11.5 percent in September, was not enough for the McAllen area to lose the designation of having the highest unemployment rate in the state, the Texas Workforce Commission said Friday.

Strong job growth in government and in the service industry led the gains in Hidalgo while Cameron County shed 400 jobs. Because the number of people in the workforce also fell last month, unemployment in the Brownsville area fell to 10.5 percent in October, down from 10.7 in September.

The number of claims for unemployment benefits in Hidalgo County fell by 800 to 33,700, according to the data.

Statewide, Texas added 41,700 jobs in October. The state had been losing jobs for most of the year. The unemployment rate rose slightly to 8.3 percent up from 8.2 percent the month before, the commission said.

"The Texas job market regained some lost ground experienced over the past several months, although it is too soon to indicate a trend," Tom Pauken, workforce chairman, said in a press release.

The number of people seeking jobs rose again for a second month; a sign that locals still believe employment is available.

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Sean Gaffney covers business, the economy and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4434.