MIDLAND – Falling oil and gas activity and COVID-19 have impacted the national, state, and local labor markets.
The unemployment rate in the metro jumped from 2.3 percent in February to 3.1 percent in March. From March 2019, unemployment climbed 1.1 percent.
The metro’s dominant industry sector — mining, logging and construction — was the only sector that added jobs in March, adding 200.
In Odessa, unemployment climbed from 3.3 percent to 4.4 percent. Statewide, the unemployment rate rose to 4.7 percent.
The Real Estate Center has more employment data online:
Source: Midland Reporter-Telegram