DALLAS – Texas led the nation in job creation over the last 12 months, according to figures released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The state added 33,300 new nonfarm jobs in April, which helped push the state’s unemployment rate down from 4.2 percent in March to 3.7 in April.
Dallas-Fort Worth ranked second nationally in the number of jobs added over the last year, with 203,100. Only New York City had more at 277,000.
DFW’s job gains in April accounted for nearly half of Texas’ monthly gain.
“The state’s getting bigger, more people are moving here,” said Daniel Oney, research director for the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University. “That tends to drive growth, no matter what’s happening in the economic cycle.”
All industries tracked by TWC have recorded job growth from this time last year, led by mining and logging with a 9 percent gain.
For more on the Texas economy, read the Center’s latest Outlook for the Texas Economy.