T E X A SLABOR MARKET REVIEW

M A Y 2 0 1 8

T he Texas Monthly Labor Market Review brings you the most current labor market highlights and happenings across the Lone

Star State. The information that follows is produced and published on a mottnthly basis and includes data on nonagricultural job trends, the labor force, job postings, and other relevant indicators for both the state and sub-state areas. Additional data and historical information is available on our website: Tracer2.com.

For additional information, please contact:

1-866-938-4444lmci@twc.state.tx.us

APRIL 2018 MONTHLY INDICATORS

INDUSTRY EMPLOYMENT

39,600CES program

Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

0.1%LAUS program

Page 5

ONLINE JOB ADS

1,806HWOLPage 8

INITIAL CLAIMS

238More Indicators

Page 10

Labor Market and Career Information

Labor Market and Career Information 2

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT STATISTICSStatewide Industry Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary employment increased by 39,600 jobs over-the-month in April

following a revised increase of 36,200 jobs for March. Both the Goods Producing and Service-Providing sectors gained employment with the Goods Producing sector posting the largest monthly increase in over four years.

Since April 2017, Total Nonfarm employment increased by 332,300 jobs as the annual growth rate accelerated to its highest peak in over three years at 2.7 percent. Mirroring this movement was the Goods Producing sector with a 40-month high annual growth rate of 5.4 percent.

Industry Apr2018

Monthly Change

Annual Change

Annual % Change

Total Nonagricultural 12,507,500 39,600 332,300 2.7Private 10,560,100 37,900 327,500 3.2Goods-Producing 1,869,600 17,600 95,800 5.4

Mining & Logging 245,800 4,900 27,200 12.4Construction 748,900 4,100 40,600 5.7Manufacturing 874,900 8,600 28,000 3.3

Service-Providing 10,637,900 22,000 236,500 2.3Trade, Transportation & Utilities 2,502,300 2,900 55,400 2.3Information 198,800 -200 -3,800 -1.9Financial Activities 768,400 -2,500 17,400 2.3Professional & Business Services 1,735,600 7,500 78,200 4.7Education & Health Services 1,692,900 6,200 28,900 1.7Leisure & Hospitality 1,356,200 3,700 46,800 3.6Other Services 436,300 2,700 8,800 2.1Government 1,947,400 1,700 4,800 0.2

Highlights• Mining and Logging

employment growth more than tripled over the month to 4,900 jobs for April, as the industry has not decreased in employment since November 2016.

• Construction employment surged over the year as 40,600 jobs were added, pushing the annual growth rate to its highest level since March 2015.

• Professional and Business Services employment grew for an eighth consecutive month and recorded the highest annual growth rate since February 2015 with 4.7 percent in April. All sectors grew over the year.

Total Nonagricultural Jobs

‐5.0%

‐4.0%

‐3.0%

‐2.0%

‐1.0%

0.0%

1.0%

2.0%

3.0%

4.0%

5.0%

‐80,000

‐60,000

‐40,000

‐20,000

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

OTM Change OTY % Change

Labor Market and Career Information 3

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT STATISTICSMetro Areas (Seasonally Adjusted)

Metro Areas Apr2018

Monthly Change

Annual Change

Annual % Change

Abilene MSA 69,900 200 1,300 1.9Amarillo MSA 121,200 500 1,900 1.6Austin-Round Rock MSA 1,061,000 800 34,200 3.3Beaumont-Port Arthur MSA 163,400 -700 -600 -0.4Brownsville-Harlingen MSA 142,400 700 900 0.6College Station-Bryan MSA 120,500 -600 4,900 4.2Corpus Christi MSA 191,100 -500 -2,900 -1.5Dallas-FW-Arlington MSA 3,688,200 13,500 116,100 3.3

Dallas-Plano-Irving MD 2,636,300 9,000 86,000 3.4Fort Worth-Arlington MD 1,051,700 4,500 28,000 2.7

El Paso MSA 316,600 -100 4,500 1.4Houston MSA 3,093,900 12,000 80,700 2.7Killeen-Temple MSA 145,000 0 2,500 1.8Laredo MSA 104,900 100 1,800 1.7Longview MSA 96,500 200 600 0.6Lubbock MSA 150,000 300 2,300 1.6McAllen MSA 262,000 800 4,700 1.8Midland MSA 102,000 2,800 10,600 11.6Odessa MSA 76,500 900 4,300 6.0San Angelo MSA 49,100 -300 400 0.8San Antonio MSA 1,055,000 1,100 21,800 2.1Sherman-Denison MSA 47,700 0 700 1.5Texarkana MSA 60,500 200 600 1.0Tyler MSA 106,400 200 2,100 2.0Victoria MSA 40,300 -400 -1,100 -2.7Waco MSA 121,500 0 800 0.7Wichita Falls MSA 59,200 0 100 0.2

Highlights(MSA industry data are not seasonally adjusted)

• Sixteen out of 26 areas expanded in employment in April for a combined increase of 34,300 jobs. Twenty-three areas grew over the year, while three contracted.

• The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land MSA led all areas over the month with an increase of 12,000 jobs.

• The Midland MSA grew the fastest by a wide margin in April with a 2.8 percent gain over the month.

• The Midland MSA also continued to lead all areas with an annual growth rate of 11.6 percent in April. Per not seasonally adjusted data, Mining, Logging, and Construction continued to drive much of this growth with 8,000 jobs added since April 2017.

• Annual employment loss was greatest in the Corpus Christi MSA with a decrease of 2,900 jobs. Leisure and Hospitality continued to shed the most jobs with a loss of 1,800 over the year.

Fastest Growing Metro Areas Over the Year

0.0%2.0%4.0%6.0%8.0%

10.0%12.0%14.0%

Labor Market and Career Information 4

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT STATISTICSFastest Growing Metro Areas Over-the-Year (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Midland MSA

Area Industry Composition Industry AnnualChange

Annual % Change

100.0% Total Nonagricultural 11,100 12.233.4% Mining, Logging & Construction 8,000 30.5

3.3% Manufacturing 300 9.718.9% Trade, Transportation & Utilities 900 4.9

1.0% Information 100 11.13.8% Financial Activities 200 5.49.2% Professional & Business Services 500 5.67.3% Education & Health Services 0 0.09.8% Leisure & Hospitality 900 9.93.4% Other Services 100 2.99.9% Government 100 1.0

Mining, Logging, and Construction

Manufacturing

Trade, Transportation, and Utilities

Information

Financial Activities

Professional and Business Services

Educational and Health Services

Leisure and Hospitality

Other Services

Government

Odessa MSA

Area Industry Composition Industry AnnualChange

Annual % Change

100.0% Total Nonagricultural 4,400 6.124.5% Mining, Logging & Construction 2,800 17.6

5.5% Manufacturing 0 0.021.6% Trade, Transportation & Utilities 600 3.8

0.8% Information 0 0.04.3% Financial Activities 100 3.16.3% Professional & Business Services 800 20.07.2% Education & Health Services -100 -1.8

11.4% Leisure & Hospitality 500 6.15.0% Other Services 200 5.6

13.5% Government -500 -4.6

Mining, Logging, and Construction

Manufacturing

Trade, Transportation, and Utilities

Information

Financial Activities

Professional and Business Services

Educational and Health Services

Leisure and Hospitality

Other Services

Government

College Station-Bryan MSA

Area Industry Composition Industry AnnualChange

Annual % Change

100.0% Total Nonagricultural 4,500 3.96.3% Mining, Logging & Construction 100 1.34.8% Manufacturing 300 5.5

13.4% Trade, Transportation & Utilities 100 0.61.1% Information 0 0.03.2% Financial Activities 100 2.68.1% Professional & Business Services 700 7.79.6% Education & Health Services 200 1.8

13.4% Leisure & Hospitality 1,500 10.12.9% Other Services 100 2.9

37.3% Government 1,400 3.2

Mining, Logging, and Construction

Manufacturing

Trade, Transportation, and Utilities

Information

Financial Activities

Professional and Business Services

Educational and Health Services

Leisure and Hospitality

Other Services

Government

Download CES excel data sheets (include industry-level data)

Labor Market and Career Information 5

LOCAL AREA UNEMPLOYMENT STATISTICSTexas & the U.S. (Seasonally Adjusted)

Texas April 2018

Employed 13,191,800 1

2

12

Unemployed558,500

4.1%Date CLF Employment Unemployment Rate

April 2018 13,750,300 13,191,800 558,500 4.1

March 2018 13,702,900 13,150,600 552,300 4.0

April 2017 13,501,700 12,892,600 609,100 4.5

U.S. April 2018

Employed 155,181,000

Unemployed6,346,000

3.9%Date CLF Employment Unemployment Rate

April 2018 161,527,000 155,181,000 6,346,000 3.9

March 2018 161,763,000 155,178,000 6,585,000 4.1

April 2017 160,213,000 153,156,000 7,056,000 4.4

Highlights• Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in April, experiencing one-tenth of a percentage

point increase from March. The U.S. rate decreased to 3.9 percent this month.

• The state’s seasonally adjusted labor force participation rate was 63.8 percent in April.

• Texas’ seasonally adjusted LAUS employment was up 41,200 from last month.

• Summarizing the not seasonally adjusted estimates, the Texas unemployment rate decreased to 3.8 percent from March to April. This was three-tenths of a percentage point lower than the unemployment rate in April 2017. Over the previous five years, the unemployment rate has averaged a decrease of four-tenths of a percentage point from March to April.

10 Largest States' Unemployment Rates

3.0% 3.5% 4.0% 4.5% 5.0%

FloridaTexas

CaliforniaGeorgia

OhioIllinois

North CarolinaNew YorkMichigan

Pennsylvania

OTM Increase

OTM Decline

Current Rate

Texas

Labor Market and Career Information 6

LOCAL AREA UNEMPLOYMENT STATISTICSSubstate Areas (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

County Highlights• Unemployment rates varied considerably

across counties, ranging from a low of 1.6 percent in Hartley County to a high of 11.1 percent in Willacy County.

• Sixty-nine counties had an unemployment rate of 3.0 percent or less.

• Duval County experienced the largest unemployment rate decrease of 2.9 percentage points over the year.

• In April 2018, unemployment rates in 205 of the 254 counties decreased over the month. Eighteen counties were unchanged over the month, while 31 counties increased.

• Over the year, the civilian labor force increased in 149 counties. One county was unchanged over the year, while the other 104 counties in the state experienced a decline.

County Unemployment Rates

3.9% and below4.0% to 4.9%5.0% to 5.9%6.0% to 6.9%7.0% and above

Texas Metro Areas Ranked by Unemployment Rate

Rank Area Rate Rank Area Rate

1 Midland 2.1 15 Laredo 3.6 2 Amarillo 2.6 0 United States 3.7 3 College Station-Bryan 2.7 16 Killeen-Temple 3.8 4 Austin-Round Rock 2.8 0 Texas 3.8 4 Lubbock 2.8 17 Victoria 3.9 4 Odessa 2.8 18 Longview 4.1 7 San Angelo 3 19 El Paso 4.2 8 San Antonio-New Braunfels 3.1 19 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 4.2 8 Sherman-Denison 3.1 19 Texarkana 4.2 10 Abilene 3.2 22 Corpus Christi 5.1 10 Wichita Falls 3.2 23 Beaumont-Port Arthur 6.2 12 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 3.4 23 Brownsville-Harlingen 6.2 12 Tyler 3.4 25 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 6.5 12 Waco 3.4

Metro Area Highlights• Over the month, all 25 Texas MSAs experienced a decrease in their unemployment rates.

• Over the year, 24 Texas MSAs saw a decrease in their unemployment rate, with two experiencing a decrease of one percentage point or more. Odessa experienced the largest over the year change, dropping 1.5 percentage points. Texarkana remained the same, the only MSA that did not see a decrease.

Labor Market and Career Information 7

CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY12-Month Moving Average Unemployment Rates

Texas Unemployment Rates by Demographic

Gender (age 16+) Apr 2018

Mar 2018

Apr 2017

Female 4.3% 4.3% 4.4%

Male 3.8% 3.9% 5.1%

Age (16+) Apr 2018

Mar 2018

Apr 2017

Age 16-19 12.1% 12.0% 14.1%

Age 20-24 6.2% 6.2% 8.3%

Age 25-34 3.9% 3.9% 5.1%

Age 35-44 3.6% 3.7% 3.7%

Age 45-54 2.7% 2.7% 3.2%

Age 55-64 3.6% 3.6% 3.5%

Age 65+ 2.9% 3.2% 4.1%

Race (age 16+) Apr 2018

Mar 2018

Apr 2017

White 3.7% 3.8% 4.3%

Black 6.5% 6.6% 7.6%

Hispanic 4.4% 4.5% 5.1%

Other Categories (age 18+) Apr 2018

Mar 2018

Apr 2017

Veterans 3.7% 3.8% 4.0%

Unemployment Rates by Race

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

White Black Hispanic

Previous Year Previous Month Apr 2018

Education (age 25+) Apr 2018

Mar 2018

Apr 2017

Less than High School 4.0% 4.1% 5.5%

High School Diploma 4.2% 4.3% 5.2%

Some College or Associate Degree 4.0% 4.0% 3.6%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 2.3% 2.3% 2.8%

Unemployment Rates by Education

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

Less than HS HS Diploma Some College orAssociate Degree

Bachelor's Degree orHigher

Previous Year Previous Month Apr 2018

Highlights• The unemployment rate for males declined by

1.3 percentage points over-the-year to a rate of 3.8 percent, while the rate for women decreased by one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.3 percent.

• The veteran unemployment rate over-the-month decreased by one-tenth of a percentage point to 3.7 percent.

• Individuals with some College education or associate degree had a slightly lower unemployment rate than those with a High School Diploma. Those with a Bachelor’s degree and higher continue to have a lower unemployment rate than those with a High School Diploma or less.

• More women (23,200) than men (22,900) entered the Texas labor force in April.

• The number of people not in the labor force because they are discouraged over job prospects in Texas stands at 35,300, down from a level of 40,000 a year ago.

Download all LAUS excel data sheets.

Labor Market and Career Information 8

HELP WANTED ONLINEStatewide Online Job Postings Data (Seasonally Adjusted)

Texas Labor Supply vs. Labor Demand

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

1,100

# OF AD

S (THO

USA

NDS

)

# OF UNEM

PLOYED (THO

USA

NDS)

Unemployed HWOL

Highlights• Online advertised vacancies increased by 1,806 to 337,127 in April, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted

OnLine® (HWOL) Data Series.

• The March Supply/Demand rate stands at 1.7 unemployed for each advertised vacancy with a total of 221,389 more unemployed workers than the number of advertised vacancies.

Top Employers by Postings

Employer Apr 2018

Mar 2018

HCA - The Healthcare Company 3,762 3,831

Robert Half International 3,509 3,365

Marriott 2,691 2,376

ACCENTURE 2,531 1,888

IBM 2,246 2,247

Baylor Scott & White Health 2,074 2,036

Randstad 2,017 1,910

Lowe's 1,876 1,910

The University of Texas System 1,733 1,739

Compass Group 1,684 1,649

Top Occupations by Postings

Occupation Apr 2018

Mar 2018

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 17,160 15,034

Registered Nurses 14,063 13,894

Retail Salespersons 8,868 9,073

Software Developers, Applications 8,494 7,613First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 8,490 8,627

Customer Service Representatives 6,502 6,154Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 6,070 5,791First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 5,846 5,481

Computer Systems Analysts 5,334 4,981

Computer User Support Specialists 5,134 4,870

Labor Market and Career Information 9

Medical Center to CloseHouston Chronicle

HOUSTON, TX—Bay Area Regional Medical Center will close this month and file for bankruptcy. CEO Stephen K. Jones Jr. told employees in an email provided to the Chronicle that the company “was not able to overcome significant hurdles with managed-care companies.” An estimated 900 employees will lose their jobs.

The 191-bed hospital, which is owned by locally based Medistar Corp., opened four years ago just a half-mile from the more established Clear Lake Regional Medical Center. A statement on the Bay Area Regional website said the company is working with lenders to wind down the operation.

Energy Company to Cut 300 JobsHouston Business Journal

HOUSTON, TX—Shortly after Irving-based Vistra Energy Corp. closed on its acquisition of Houston-based Dynegy Inc., the company has disclosed local job cuts. According to information released by the Texas Workforce Commission, Vistra las to cut 308 jobs at Dynegy’s former headquarters in Houston. The cuts were announced April 11 and are expected to become effective June 11, according to information from the TWC.

“These employees were asked by Vistra Energy if they would be interested in relocating to North Texas; many declined,” a Vistra spokeswoman told the Houston Business Journal. The company currently occupies about a floor and a half in downtown Houston.

Job Losses

EMPLOYMENT NEWSMedia Update

Steel Company Selects Valley SiteValley Morning Star

BROWNSVILLE, TX—After decades of effort, Brownsville’s quest for a steel mill appears to have finally paid off. Arkansas-based Big River Steel LLC (BRS) has selected Brownsville, according to Port of Brownsville officials. The Brownsville $1.6 billion plant, like the Osceola, Arkansas facility, would support approximately 500 full-time jobs with an annual average salary of $75,000.

The development was reflected in a unanimous vote by the Brownsville Navigation District board, during a special meeting last month, to give BRS the option to lease 800 acres between the Brownsville Ship Channel and S.H. 48 on which to build the facility. “Now all the hard work begins,” said Eddie Campirano, port director and CEO. “This kind of sets the wheels in motion. There’s still a lot of work to be done. A project like this is not going to be easy,” he added. Officials believe the permitting process and construction could take four years for the project.

Home Depot to Hire 500 in AustinAustin Business Journal

AUSTIN, TX—Home Depot Inc. hopes to add about 1,000 tech jobs, with as many as half of them being created at its Austin technology center, as part of a $11.1 billion three-year strategic investment plan. There will also be hiring in Atlanta and Dallas, but a spokesman for Home Depot said its Austin corporate office in Northeast Austin could see up to 500 new jobs.

The Atlanta-based home improvement giant said the hiring push complements its desire to bring more tech to the customer shopping experience, both online and in store, as well as to its supply chain, delivery capabilities and workforce management systems. Home Depot announced it’s $11.1 billion strategic plan in December. To reach those goals it needs new hires skilled in advanced software engineering, system engineering, UX design and product management, the company said.

Job Gains

Labor Market and Career Information 10

KEY INDICATORS

Total Nonag Annual Employment Growth(Seasonally Adjusted)

‐6.0%‐5.0%‐4.0%‐3.0%‐2.0%‐1.0%0.0%1.0%2.0%3.0%4.0%5.0%

TX US

Current Month: Texas: 2.7% US: 1.6%

Source: TWC/Bureau of Labor Statistics

Unemployment Rates(Seasonally Adjusted)

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

Texas U.S.

Current Month: Texas: 4.1% US: 3.9%

Source: TWC/Bureau of Labor Statistics

Initial and Continued Claims(3-Month Moving Average)

0200,000400,000600,000800,0001,000,0001,200,0001,400,0001,600,000

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

Initial Claims Continued Claims

Current Month: Initial Claims: 58,221 Continued Claims: 550,306

Source: TWC

West Texas Intermediate Crude Oilvs.Texas Rig Count

01002003004005006007008009001,000

$0$20$40$60$80

$100$120$140$160

WTI Texas Rig Counts

Current Month: WTI: $66.25 Texas Rig Count: 505

Source: US Energy Information Administration (EIA) & Baker Hughes

Consumer Price Index Annual Growth(Not Seasonally Adjusted)

‐4%

‐2%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

Dallas Houston

Current Month: Dallas-Fort Worth: 2.9% Houston-Galveston: 2.4%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Average Hourly Earnings(Not Seasonally Adjusted)

$20$21$22$23$24$25$26$27$28

TX US

Current Month: Texas: $25.87 US: $27.11

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Download Key Indicators data in excel.

Labor Market and Career Information 11

GLOSSARY

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS

This Federal/State cooperative program produces estimates drawn from a monthly survey of nonfarm business establishments used to collect wage and salary employment, worker hours and payroll by industry and area. It counts the number of jobs, not of people.

Nonagricultural Jobs - The total number of persons on establishment payrolls employed full or part time. Persons on the payroll of more than one establishment are counted in each. Data exclude proprietors, self-employed, unpaid family or volunteer workers, farm workers, and domestic workers. Government employment only covers civilian employees.

Actual or Not Seasonally Adjusted - Describes the data series not subject to the seasonal adjustment process. In other words, the effects of regular, or seasonal, patterns have not been removed from these series.

Seasonally Adjusted - The effects of regular, or seasonal, patterns of hiring or layoffs (holidays, weather, etc.) have been removed from these series. These adjustments make it easier to observe the cyclical and other non-seasonal movements in a data series.

LOCAL AREA UNEMPLOYMENT STATISTICS

This Federal/State cooperative program produces employment and unemployment estimates by place of residence.

Employed - All persons 16 years and over who, during the reference week, (a) did any work at all (at least 1 hour) as paid employees, worked on their own business, profession, or on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid family workers, or (b) were not working but who had jobs from which they were temporarily absent. Each employed person is counted only once, even if the person holds more than one job.

Unemployed - All persons aged 16 years and over who had no employment, were available for work, and had made specific efforts to find employment. Includes persons who were waiting to be recalled to jobs from which they had been laid off.

Civilian Labor Force (CLF) - All persons classified as employed or unemployed.

Unemployment Rate - The unemployed number divided by the civilian labor force number.

HELP WANTED ONLINE

The Conference Board's data series provides monthly measures of labor demand (advertised vacancies) at the national, regional, state, and metropolitan area levels.

Supply-Demand rate - A ratio measuring the number of unemployed persons per Help Wanted Online job opening.

INDICATORS

Initial Claims - A count of notices of unemployment received requesting a determination of eligibility for UI benefits. A person can file multiple claims.

Continued Claims - A count of claimants who have qualified for and are receiving UI benefits.

Consumer Price Index - An index of the variation in prices paid by typical consumers for retail goods and other items.

MISCELLANEOUS

Metropolitan Division (MD) - A Metropolitan Statistical Area with a population of 2.5 million which is subdivided into smaller groupings is referred to as Metropolitan Divisions (MDs).

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) - A geographic area that contains at least one urbanized center of 50,000 or more population plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration with the core urban location. An MSA in Texas is made up of one or more counties.

Metro Area - Can refer either to a Metropolitan Statisical Area or a Metropolitan Division. Texas has 25 MSAs, including the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA which is subdivided into two MDs.

Workforce Development Area (WDA) - The State of Texas is divided into twenty-eight (28) local workforce development areas.

LMCI Director: Doyle Fuchs

Editor: Mariana Vega

Layout and Design: Mark Lavergne

TLMR Contributors:Phil Arnold, Gabriel Guzman, Robert Luttner, Josue Perez, Emmanuel Tomes, Mark Lavergne

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Labor Market and Career Information101 East 15th Street, Room 0252

Austin, Texas 78778-00011-866-938-4444(512) 936-3278

FAX: (512) 936-3208www.lmci.state.tx.us

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