Texas leads the way in higher-than-expected employment numbers

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — A recent jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows employment increased by a quarter of a million jobs in September.

BLS data shows the number is higher than the average monthly increase by more than 50,000 jobs.

Employment in food service, healthcare, construction and other sectors continued their upward trend in jobs added.

Julio Salinas with Workforce Solutions, said he has seen an increase in jobs in the area and said part of the rise could be attributed to an increase in migration from other states.

“They’re coming from states like California or from New York because Texas has less laws when it comes to opening businesses. Well, it’s more business-friendly. Not that there’s less laws, but that there’s less red tape sometimes.”

State-specific numbers for Texas have not been made available for the September job numbers, but the figures from August show consistent employment growth.

Over the past year, Texas has added over 275,000 jobs. Experts in the field have indicated that the trend is expected to continue with the latest findings.

Salinas said Workforce Solutions is trying to provide the necessary training employers moving into the area are looking for.

“A lot of the companies that are moving in, as far as manufacturing or tech. I mean, with SpaceX just coming in, those are jobs that are going to need to be filled. And a lot of that workforce we have here, we’re trying to connect now more people to those types of trainings.”

According to the BLS, average hourly earnings grew by about one-half of a percent for the time covering the latest report. The agency reported that over the last year, those wages have gone up by four percent.

Salinas said the education model could be shifting, and people can get into the workforce faster, and with better, more marketable skills.

“Personally, growing up, you know, our parents always told us you have to go to college. You have to get that four-year degree. But now we’re seeing that a lot of the companies coming in, you need manufacturing jobs. You need, for example, they’re looking for welders, pipe fitters, a lot of the construction jobs there. Those are certificates that take two-year completion, and you can start working and earning really well in those types of job fields.”

The jobs numbers report is based on surveys that rely on companies to report their businesses’ numbers. Because of that, numbers are typically adjusted after more data is made available. Even taking those adjustments into account, Texas has still led the way in job creation for the past year.

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