BEAUMONT, Texas — New data from the Texas Workforce Commission shows areas in Southeast Texas are seeing a higher percentage of unemployed residents from November despite job growth across the state.
In November 2019, 5.3 percent of residents in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area were unemployed. A year later, a TWC report shows those unemployment numbers have more than doubled.
11.8 percent of people in the area were seeking jobs in November 2020, which is also an increase from October’s 2020 unemployment rate of 9.9 percent.
"TWC continues to encourage all Texans to utilize employment resources such as WorkInTexas.com, the Skills Enhancement Initiative and Workforce Solutions Centers across the state," said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez.
The report says the state added 65,800 private sector jobs and 61,000 nonfarm positions over the month of November. It also says Texas has added thousands of jobs ranging from trade and transportation to hospitality and construction.
"The number of private sector jobs added over the month demonstrates the fact that our Texas employers are still continuing to safely open their doors and take care of business," said Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson.
State data for December is scheduled to be released on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021.
