COLLEGE STATION – In the week ending July 25, Texas’ initial unemployment claims decreased to a little over 81,300. That brings the total since March 21 to 3.08 million, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
This marks the third consecutive week of declines as the number of daily new COVID-19 cases trended downward.
Despite the decrease in new claims, the number of Texans who continue to claim unemployment insurance increased the week of July 18 to 1.2 million.
“This increase is worrisome, indicating that people continue to find themselves unemployed,” said Real Estate Center Research Economist Dr. Luis Torres.
According to data from the DOL and the Employment and Training Administration, the number of initial unemployment claims decreased the week of July 18 in Texas’ major and border metros. This marks the second consecutive week of declines.
With almost 688,300 claims, Houston has the largest cumulative number of unemployment claims of any Texas metro.
Here are Center estimates for the other three major and the four border metros from March 21 to July 18:
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Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, 661,800 claims;
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San Antonio-New Braunfels, 210,300 claims;
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Austin-Round Rock, 183,100 claims;
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McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, 79,300 claims;
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El Paso, 69,300 claims;
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Brownsville-Harlingen, 35,100 claims; and
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Laredo, 21,300 claims.
Although McAllen saw decline in new unemployment claims, its overall coronavirus cases and deaths have increased at a significant rate, negatively impacting the local economy’s recovery.
Accommodation and food services, healthcare and social assistance, retail trade, and administrative/support/waste management/remediation services represented the sectors with the biggest unemployment claims.
Nearly 54.1 million Americans have filed unemployment claims in the past 19 weeks, and new claims increased the week ending July 25. This is the second consecutive week of increases, raising concerns that the recovery could be stalling nationally.
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