By David A. Diaz Legislative Media
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Edinburgs unemployment rate for May 2015 was 4.8 percent representing the fourth consecutive month that the city posted a monthly figure under five percent with McAllen at 4.6 percent being the only other major Valley city to come under five percent the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced.
The EEDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council.
Edinburgs unemployment rate as calculated by the Texas Workforce Commission was the best showing for the city for that month since May 2008 when it was reported at 4.6 percent by the state agency.
Among its many duties the Texas Workforce Commission provides information and analysis on shifts in occupations and industries within the state including unemployment rates and employment figures broken down by cities counties and regions in Texas on a monthly basis.
Edinburgs May 2015 figure of 4.8 percent follows positive showings in April 2015 (4.6 percent) March 2015 (4.8 percent) February 2015 (4.8 percent) and January 2015 (5.1 percent).
Edinburgs May 2015 unemployment rate of 4.8 percent remained close to the Texas statewide average which was 4.1 percent for May 2015 four percent for April 2015 4.2 percent for March 2015 4.3 percent for February 2015 and 4.6 percent for January 2015 according to Texas Workforce Commission figures.
The citys latest performance also was better than the U.S. unemployment rate for May 2015 which was 5.5 percent according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (
http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000).
The data represents an increase of 482 jobs in Edinburg when comparing the employment figures for May 2015 and May 2014. In May 2015 there were 35912 persons employed in Edinburg compared with 35430 in May 2014.
The May 2015 unemployment rate of 4.8 percent for Edinburg is also better than the annual unemployment rate in Edinburg for 2014 which was 5.8 percent and that yearly rate was the best 12-month average from January through December since 2005.
Edinburgs annual unemployment rates since 2005 which is the year in which the state government began preparing those figures using a more accurate formula according to the Texas Workforce Commission have registered as follows: 2014 (5.8 percent); 2013 (6.9 percent); 2012 (7.5 percent); 2011 (8.4 percent); 2010 (8.2 percent); 2009 (6.8 percent); 2008 (4.9 percent); 2007 (4.7 percent); 2006 (5.2 percent); and 2005 (4.9 percent).
The Texas Workforce Commission also reported that the four-county Valleys other major communities continued to show improvements in their monthly unemployment rates.
- McAllen 4.6 percent (4.5 percent in April 4.7 percent in March 4.7 percent in February 5.0 percent in January);
- Edinburg 4.8 percent (4.6 percent in April 4.8 percent in March 4.8 percent in March 4.8 percent in February 5.1 percent in January);
- Harlingen 5.6 percent (5.4 percent in April 5.6 percent in March 5.7 percent in February 6.3 percent in January);
- Mission 5.7 percent (5.6 percent in April 5.7 percent in March 5.8 percent in February 6.3 percent in January);
- Weslaco 5.7 percent (5.7 percent in April 6.0 percent in March 6.4 percent in February 7.2 percent in January);
- Pharr 6.1 percent (6.1 percent in April 6.4 percent in March 6.7 percent in February 7.5 percent in January); and
- Brownsville 6.4 percent (6.5 percent in April 7.1 percent in March 7.0 percent in February 7.8 percent in January).
The unemployment rate is a key indicator of the strength of the local economy.
The unemployment rate is the number of persons unemployed expressed as a percentage of the civilian labor force according to the Texas Workforce Commission. The civilian labor force is that portion of the population age 16 and older employed or unemployed. To be considered unemployed a person has to be not working but willing and able to work and actively seeking work.
The Texas Workforce Commission data on all entities in the state including cities and counties is available online at:
http://www.tracer2.com/cgi/dataanalysis/AreaSelection.asp?tableName=Labforce
