Governor Greg Abbott celebrated the strength and resilience of the Texas economy following the release of December employment data showing Texas continues to outpace the nation in annual job growth Friday.
Texas also again set new historic highs for total jobs, the number of Texans working, and the size of the Texas labor force. December marked 34 months of uninterrupted job growth in Texas.
“Texas continues to grow jobs faster than the nation and smash record highs month after month,” said Governor Abbott. “As a result, more Texans are working than ever before. Texas stands as a model for the nation, offering the freedom and tools for both job creators and job seekers to thrive. With our young, skilled, diverse, and growing workforce and strategic, ongoing investments in infrastructure, education, and workforce development, we will attract even more innovative industry leaders to our great state. As the new year begins, we celebrate recordsetting employment and the endless opportunities ahead for a bigger, better Texas.”
December employment data released by the Texas Workforce Commission shows: Texas reaches a new historic high with the largest labor force ever in the state’s history at a record 15,203,900.
Texas reaches a new historic high for Texans working, including self-employed, at 14,594,900; Texas reaches a new historic high for total jobs at 14,103,300 after adding 19,100 non-farm jobs in December; and Texas again added jobs at a faster rate than the nation over the last 12 months, adding 369,600 jobs from December 2022 to December 2023 and growing at an annual rate of 2.7%, above the growth rate for the nation as a whole of 1.7%.
Earlier this month, Governor Abbott celebrated Texas being named 2023 State of the Year in recognition of the state’s best-inthe- nation business climate and job growth, marking the fifth State of the Year win for Texas from Business Facilities magazine, more than any other state.
“Texas’ record-breaking employment growth remains a clear sign of the state’s economic strength,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “We finished 2023 with thousands more jobs in the state than at any other time in history.”
The Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) maintained the lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs with a not seasonally adjusted rate of 2.1 percent in December, followed by the Amarillo MSA at 2.5 percent, and College Station-Bryan at 2.6 percent.
“The data shows Texas employers continue to grow and thrive as all major industries in the state expanded over the year,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza. “To continue this growth, TWC and our 28 Workforce Solutions partners offer an array of resources for businesses to upskill, create new jobs and keep pace with the rapidly growing Texas economy.”
Employment estimates released by TWC are produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
“The month-over-month increase in jobs is good news for every Texan,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Alberto Treviño III. “This continued growth shows that job seekers are taking advantage of career opportunities in the Lone Star State. TWC has the resources, services, and training to upskill job seekers and meet the demands of Texas employers.”