Jobless Rate Decreases in Beaumont-Port Arthur

DALLAS (AP) - The Texas unemployment rate dropped to 3.9 percent in April - the lowest unemployment rate the state's labor force has seen for the month since 1979.

The ranks of the unemployed decreased by an estimated 40,200 in April, to 448,700, the Texas Workforce Commission said Friday.

And initial claims for unemployment benefits fell to 87,600 in April, with 1,500 fewer people receiving benefits than in March.

April's jobless rate decreased three-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month. The Texas unemployment rate continued to outperform the nation's, which had a jobless rate of 4.8 percent.

The Workforce Commission said Texas employers added 15,400 jobs in April.

The biggest gain was in the financial services sector added 6,900 jobs. Some of the businesses in that industry include commercial banks, credit unions and insurance agencies, as well as real estate agents, rental car companies and office equipment rental.

Leisure and hospitality added 4,200 jobs while construction gained 3,000 more jobs, according to the commission. Smaller gains were reported in the education and health services sector and in other services.

Midland had the lowest April unemployment rate in the state, 2.4 percent, followed by Amarillo and Odessa. The highest jobless rate in the state was in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area, at 5.7 percent.

The statewide numbers were adjusted for seasonal trends in hiring and firing, which most economists believe gives a better picture of the job market. Local figures are not seasonally adjusted.

Following are the preliminary April jobless rates for local areas in Texas, with revised March numbers in parentheses. The figures are not seasonally adjusted. The statewide unadjusted jobless rate was 3.9 percent in April, down from 4.2 percent in March.

Abilene 3.2 (3.5)

Amarillo 2.8 (3.1)

Austin-Round Rock 3.3 (3.7)

Beaumont-Port Arthur 5.0 (5.4)

Brownsville-Harlingen 5.4 (5.8)

College Station-Bryan 3.1 (3.3)

Corpus Christi 3.8 (4.2)

Dallas-Plano-Irving 4.0 (4.3)

El Paso 5.0 (5.5)

Fort Worth-Arlington 3.8 (4.1)

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown 3.8 (4.1)

Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood 4.0 (4.4)

Laredo 4.6 (4.9)

Longview 3.3 (3.7)

Lubbock 4.2 (3.3)

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 5.7 (6.4)

Midland 2.4 (2.6)

Odessa 2.8 (3.0)

San Angelo 3.2 (3.5)

San Antonio 3.6 (3.9)

Sherman-Denison 4.4 (4.6)

Texarkana 3.9 (4.3)

Tyler 4.0 (4.4)

Victoria 3.1 (3.4)

Waco 3.5 (3.9)

Wichita Falls 3.5 (3.9)

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)