Unemployment rate rises again
McALLEN – The unemployment rate swung up again in September across the Rio Grande Valley, with Hidalgo County again suffering the highest jobless rate in the state.
Led by seasonal job losses in retail and the leisure and hospitality industries, the unemployment rate in Hidalgo County rose slightly last month to 11.6 percent, remaining well above the state average of 8.3 percent and the national rate of 9.5 percent.
Across the board job loss in Cameron County edged the unemployment rate up to 10.8 percent.
While the figures suggest that some industries in the McAllen area are still feeling the recession, overall the number of people employed in the area has grown in the last year, according to the data released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission.
"There are jobs being created. We just have more people looking for jobs than we had a year ago," said Steve Ahlenius, president of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. "We’ve had people who probably were someplace else and have moved back home and now they’re in the market looking for jobs."
The number of claims for unemployment benefits in Hidalgo County jumped by 500 in September to 34,600, according to the data. In Cameron County, claims rose by 400 to 16,200.
The number of people seeking jobs remained unchanged in Cameron but rose in Hidalgo. The rise is a sign that locals still believe that jobs are available.
"The Texas labor force is growing as more people enter the job market, but job seekers are hampered by fewer jobs," Ronny Congleton, a commissioner representing labor for the workforce, said in a press release.
Statewide, 44,700 jobs were lost in September. The state has lost jobs every month but one over the past year. In August the jobless rate hit 8 percent for the first time in 22 years.
"The Texas job market continued to tighten as most industries experienced job losses in September," Tom Pauken, workforce chairman, said in a press release.
