LMI Press Release
July unemployment rate for Southeast Texas decreases to 6.5 percent
BEAUMONT, Texas – The Southeast Texas unadjusted unemployment rate for July 2024 decreased to 6.5 percent, down by 0.4 percent from June’s rate of 6.9 percent, according to data released by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). This indicates that 6.5 percent of the workforce, a total of 11,042 people, in the three-county Southeast Texas region were engaged in seeking employment. In addition, over 6,500 job openings from different industries were available*.
| wdt_ID | Area | Jul 2024 | Jun 2024 | Jul 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 4.4% | 4.5% | 4.2% |
| 2 | Beaumont-Port Arthur | 6.6% | 6.9% | 6.4% |
| 3 | Southeast Texas | 6.5% | 6.9% | 6.4% |
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | Hardin County | 5.2% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| 6 | Jefferson County | 7.1% | 7.4% | 6.8% |
| 7 | Orange County | 5.8% | 6.1% | 5.7% |
| 8 | Newton County | 7.4% | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| 9 | ||||
| 10 | Beaumont | 6.1% | 6.3% | 5.8% |
| 11 | Port Arthur | 10.4% | 11.0% | 9.7% |
Current Unemployment Statistics (CES) provided by TWC report industry sector job gains and losses. All gains and losses are shown in the table below.
| wdt_ID | Industry Sector | Monthly Increases | Monthly Decreases |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 200 | |
| 2 | Government | -1100 | |
| 3 | Leisure and Hospitality | -300 | |
| 14 | Manufacturing | -100 | |
| 16 | Mining, Logging and Construction | -100 |
Source: Current Employment Statistics (CES)/Texas Workforce Commission
There was a significant increase during the month of June that is largely attributed to seasonal factors such as schools and universities letting staff go for the summer, according to the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) Labor Market and Career Information division. July’s rate still reflects this through the large decrease in Government-sector positions. There is no cause for concern as this is normal during this time of year, and there are rate decreases across the board in Southeast Texas.
Since July 2023, the unemployment rate has increased by 0.1, and the local labor force has grown by 5,408 residents. The July 2024 unemployment rates for the Southeast Texas counties are as follows**:
- Jefferson; 7.1 percent (down by 0.3 from June; up 0.3 from July 2023)
- Hardin: 5.2 percent (down by 0.3 from June; down by 0.2 from July 2023)
- Orange: 5.8 percent (down by 0.3 from June; up by 0.1 from July 2023)
Employment estimates released by TWC are produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. All estimates are subject to revision. To access this and more employment data, visit texaslmi.com.
You can access the latest labor market data for the Southeast Texas Workforce Development Area on our dashboard, which includes information on job postings, skills demand and education, skills gaps, education pipeline trends, commuting patterns, and home values.
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*Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics JobsEQ – Online job postings active from 7/01/2024 to 7/31/2024
**All unemployment rates listed are not seasonally adjusted and are subject to change