Seasonally unadjusted unemployment as a whole was up slightly across the state in May 2022, including in the 9-County Northeast Texas Workforce Development Area, which includes Hopkins County.
Texas & Northeast Texas WDA
In fact, the Northeast Texas WDA’s 4.1% unemployment rate is slightly higher than the overall state average of 3.8% last month, according to the Local Area Unemployment Statistics reported for May 2022 on the Texas Labor Market Information website.
Unemployment across the state rose 0.1% from April 2022 to May 2022, with 554,136 Texans without jobs in May 2022, up from 530,006 unemployed Texans in April 2022. The overall labor force in Texas also rose from 14,462,598 in Texas in April 2022 to 14,500,613 in May 2022. Both Texas and NETWDA’s May 2022 unemployment stats are still better those recorded in May 2021, when the labor force was smaller but more people were seeking jobs. A total of 798,571 of the 14,123,599 labor force in Texas were unemployed in May 2021, for an overall state unemployment rate of 5.7% in May 2021 – 2 full points higher than in April 2022 and 1.9% than in May 2022.
Across Northeast Texas WDA, the unemployment rate rose from 3.9% in April 2022, when 4,865 of 124,322 member labor force were unemployed, to 4.1% last month. Out of a total labor force of 124,583, TLMI’s Local Area Unemployment Statistics show 5,124 were unemployed in May 2022. While the labor force has grown from May 2021 to May 2022, so too have the number of available jobs in Northeast Texas WDA. In May 2021, TLMI shows 6,947 in NETWDA were without jobs out of a potential labor force of 124,783. May 2022’s unemployment rate was 1.5% lower than the 5.6% posted in May of 2021 for the NETWDA.
Lowest NETWDA Unemployment Rate
Franklin County’s May 2022 unemployment rate of 2.9% was the lowest among all 9 counties in NETWDA. While that’s 1.3% lower than in May of 2021, when 222 of the 5,226 member labor force were seeking work, the ay 2022 unemployment rate in Franklin County was still higher than the 2.6% unemployment rate reported in April 2022, when only 136 of the 5,191 labor force were seeking work. Last month, Franklin County’s labor force was 5,170, including 149 people who were unemployed.
Unemployment In Hopkins County
In Hopkins County both labor force and number of people seeking work grew slightly from April 2022 to May 2022, causing a rise in unemployment last month as well. In April 2022, 514 members of Hopkins County’s 18,045 labor force were unemployed, giving the county a 2.8% unemployment rate. Last month, 55 additional people joined the labor force and 45 additional people were jobless in Hopkins County, increasing the unemployment rate slightly to 3.1%. While there were 314 fewer people employed or actively seeking work in Hopkins County in May 2021 than in May 2022, there were also 210 more people seeking work in May of 2021 than last month.
The unemployment rate in Hopkins County has risen from April to May in 11 of the past 22 years in Hopkins County, and was unchanged in nine additional years. That means in only three of the past 23 years has the unemployment rate declined from April to May: from 4.8% to 4.6% in 2021, from 7.8% to 6.9% in 2020, and from 3.3% to 3.2% in 2018.
The lowest monthly unemployment rates in Hopkins County since 2000 was 2.7% in April and May of 2019. The highest unemployment rates recorded in the past 23 years for Hopkins County were 8.4% in June 2011, 8.2% in July 2011, 8.1% in January of 2010 and 2011, a 8% in February 2011 and 7.9% in February 2010.
While unemployment rates spiked in Hopkins County in April 2020 due to COVID-19 shutdowns, job-wise things were worse in 2011 and 2012. In fact, even with the spikes, the yearly unemployment average for Hopkins County was only 5.1% in 2020, which was still better than during 8 of the past 23 years: 5.8% in 2013, 6.4% in 2012, 7.6% in 2011, 7.5% in 2010, 6% in 2009, 5.3% in 2004 and 5.4% in 2002. The lowest annual unemployment rate for Hopkins was 3.1% in 2019.
Also Below State, WDA Rates
Delta County is the only other county in the Northeast Texas with a May 2022 unemployment rate lower than the state average of 3.8%. Delta County’s unemployment rate rose from 3.3% in April 2022, when 82 of the labor force of 2465 was unemployed, to 3.6% in May 2022, when 6 people more were unemployed and the labor force was 5 people fewer. Both were still better than the 5% unemployment rate recorded for Delta County in May 2021, when 122 people out of a labor force or 2,448 were unemployed.
Titus County’s unemployment rate matched the state average of 3.8% in May 2022, when 522 of the county’s 13,572 labor force were reported to be unemployed. That’s up 0.2% from April 2022, when 488 of the 13,465 labor force were unemployed. Last month’s unemployment rate was still 1.3% less than was reported for Titus County in May 2021, when 685 out of the13,483 labor force were unemployed.
Lamar County’s numbers were higher than the state average but just lower than the 9-county NETWDA unemployment rate of 4.1%. Lamar County’s unemployment rose slightly from 3.8% in April 2022, 913 of the 23,931 labor for were unemployed, to 4% in May 2022, when 961 of the 24,119 labor force were unemployed. That’s still 1.3% less than in May 2021, when 1,295 of the 24,524 work force were unemployed.
Above Texas, NETWDA Averages
Bowie County’s unemployment rate rose from 3.9% in April 2022 to 4.4% in May 2022. In April 2022, 37,586 Bowie residents were employed and 1,646 were unemployed. One month later, 37,490 people in Bowie County were employed and 1,721 were unemployed. Last month’s employment stats were still better than those recorded in May of 2022, when 36,868 were employed and 2,248 were unemployed, giving Bowie County an overall 5.7% unemployment rate.
Cass and Red River Counties each had a May 2022 unemployment rate of 4.6%.
Cass County’s labor force shrunk from 12,255 in April 2022 to 12,217 in May 2022. A total of 565 were unemployed in May 2022 in Cass County, 24 more than the month before. Unemployment was down from 6.7% in May of 2021, when the labor force in Cass County was 12,372 strong, with 828 unemployed.
Red River County’s May jobless rate rose only 0.1% from April to May 2022,but was still 1.2% less than in May of 2021, when 308 people were reported to be unemployed and 4,971 unemployed. Six more people were reported to be unemployed in May 2022 than the 240 recorded in April 2022 as well. The labor force was four Red River County residents fewer in April than in May 2022, but had grown by 66 workers from May of 2021 to 5,345 in May of 2022.
Morris County’s unemployment rate of 7.1% was the highest in the Northeast Texas WDA. While Morris County’s labor force remained unchanged at 4,389 from April to May of 2022, eight more people were without work last month than the 305 recorded the month before. That’s still 165 more people employed in May of 2022 than were reported in May 2021, when the unemployment rate was 10.3%, with 470 of the labor force which numbered 4,549 unemployed, according to arrest reports.
Addition unemployment reports for Hopkins County and Northeast Texas Workforce Development Area can be found by clicking here. For additional statistics for Texas, NETWDA, Hopkins County and other counties, visit the Texas Labor Market Information website, https://texaslmi.com.
