Governor Greg Abbott today touted the resilience of the Texas economy following the release of October employment data showing Texas again grew jobs at a faster annual rate than the U.S. as Texas employers added 274,600 nonfarm jobs over the last 12 months. Texas also set a new record high for the number of Texans working and for the size of the Texas labor force. “Texas grows jobs at a faster annual rate than the U.S. because Texas moves at the speed of business,” said Governor Abbott. “Meeting the changing needs of Texas entrepreneurs and businesses is paramount to ensure ongoing job growth across industries. That is why the state of Texas invests in workforce development and career training to prepare our young and growing labor force for high-demand, good-paying jobs. With more than four million Texans participating every year in those skills training programs and Texas removing regulatory roadblocks that burden small businesses and job growth, we will build a bigger, better Texas for all.” October jobs data released by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) shows:
- Texas reached a new high with the largest labor force ever in the state’s history at 15,497,100.
- Texas reached a new high for Texans working, including self-employed, at 14,858,700.
- Texas added 274,600 nonfarm jobs from October 2023 to October 2024, outpacing the nation in annual growth rate.
- Texas job gains in October included the Financial Activities industry with the largest over-the-month increase in October of 6,200 jobs, outperforming the national annual growth rate by 2.8 percentage points. In addition, Leisure and Hospitality added 4,900 jobs over the month, and both Information and Manufacturing added 1,900 jobs each.
- Texas has added more than 2.4 million jobs under Governor Abbott’s leadership.
TWC also offers free in-person and online learning programs and resources to help prepare for the next career step at your local Workforce Solutions office. Earlier this month, Governor Abbott celebrated Texas being named the Top Business Climate in the nation for the second year in a row by Site Selection magazine. See more Top Texas Touts: gov.texas.gov/top-texas-touts.