Hopkins County had the lowest October 2020 unemployment rate in the Texarkana Area Unemployment Statistics report, which covers the 9-county area which spans from Bowie and Cass counties west to Lamar, Delta and Hopkins counties.
The unemployment rate in Hopkins County like that across the state declined over the last month, but has yet to fall to pre-COVID-19 rates, according to Local Area Unemployment Statistics released Friday by Texas Labor Market Information and Texas Workforce Commission.
Hopkins County had a 4.8 percent unemployment rate for October 2020; that’s 824 of the county’s 17,222 civilian labor force who were looking were unemployed in October. That’s a 0.9 percent decline in the unemployment rate from September 2020, when 972 of the 17,171 labor force were unemployed, to October 2020. The unemployment rate in October 2019 was 2.9 percent, according to the WDA unemployment reports for the Texarkana/Northeast Texas region.
The next lowest unemployment rates in the WDA for October 2020 were posted by Hopkins County’s nearest neighbors.
Delta County had 5.0 percent unemployment rate in October 2020, with 120 of the county’s 2,392 labor force unemployed; that’s down 0.8 percent from September 2020, when 137 of the 2,380 labor force were unemployed. Delta County’s unemployment rate was 3.4 percent in October 2019, when 84 of the 2,466 labor force were without work.
The unemployment rate in Franklin County fell from 6 percent in September 2020, when 23 of the 4,552 work force were without jobs, to 5.2 percent in October 2020, when 237 of the 4,567 labor force were unemployed. That’s still up from the 3.4 percent unemployment rate posted in October 2019, when 158 of Franklin County’s 4,642 labor force were unemployed.
Lamar County’s unemployment rate fell from 6.8 percent in September 2020, when 1,633 of the 24,143 labor force were unemployed, to 5.7 percent in October 2020, when 1,382 of the 24,127 labor force sought jobs. In October 2019, the unemployment rate was 3.2 percent, with 773 of the 24, 378 labor force without employment, according to the WDA October 2020 unemployment report. In Paris alone, the unemployment rate fell from 7.8 percent in September 2020 to 6.5 percent in October 2020, which is still 3.1 percent higher than the unemployment rate posted in October 2019 for the city.
Unemployment rates declined in all other counties in the WDA. The rate ranged between 6 and 7 percent for October 2020 for all other counties in WDA, except Morris and Cass Counties.
Morris County continued to have the highest unemployment rate in the WDA in October 2020, as was the case 1 year ago. The unemployment rate rose from 5.1 percent in October 2019, when 246 of the 4,820 labor force sought jobs, to 12.3 percent in October 2020, when 612 of the 4,978 labor force sought work. The October 2020 unemployment rate was a 1.4 percent decline from September 2020, when 688 of the 5,005 labor force sought jobs.
In Cass County, 960 people from among the 12,517 labor force were without jobs in October 2020, giving the county a 7.7 percent unemployment rate. That’s down from 8.6 percent in September 2020, when 1,083 people from among the 12,528 sought employment. That’s still 3.7 percent higher than in October 2019, when 489 people out of the 12,473 workforce were without jobs.
Those decreases amount to an overall October 2020 unemployment rate of 6.2 percent for the North East Texas WDA, a 1.1 percent decrease from September 2020, but still 2.5 percent higher than the October 2019 unemployment rate.
Across Texas, the unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in October 2020, down from 8.2 percent in September 2020, but still 4.4 percent higher than October of 2019. The seasonably adjusted unemployment rate for Texas was 6.9 percent, 3.9 percent below October 2019, according to Texas Workforce Commission and Texas LMI.
The Texas unemployment rate for October 2020 is in line with the National unemployment rate of 6.9 percent. Texas’ private sector added 136,300 jobs over the month, according to TWC.
“While the unemployment rate captures only a snapshot of our economy at a specific moment in time, the job growth we have seen over the past 6 months shows an enduring strength in the state’s economy,” TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel was quoted in a TWC press release. “To maximize our efforts, TWC will continue to provide opportunities for Texans to enhance their jobs skills, search for new jobs and participate in other workforce services at one of our many Workforce Solutions Offices.”
In October, the Professional and Business services sector added 45,200 jobs—the largest monthly increase recorded for this industry since the series began in 1990. Leisure and Hospitality added 27,700 jobs and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 19,300 jobs, according to the TWC release.
“While the economy may look a bit different, one thing holds true: skilled workers are in-demand,” TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez was quoted in the TWC release as stating. “TWC is proud to promote on-the-job training through Registered Apprenticeship Programs which help Texans build skills and create careers while earning an income.”
Employment estimates released by TWC are produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. All estimates are subject to revision. To access this and more employment data, visit TexasLMI.com.
