LAREDO, TEXAS — The Laredo MSA saw a decrease in the seasonally adjusted rate dropping to 4.8 percent in December. That represents a decrease of 0.2 percent from the 5.0 percent reported in November, according to figures released Friday, January 21, by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
The three-county Workforce Solutions for South Texas (WSST) area of Jim Hogg, Webb, and Zapata counties reported a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.0 percent in December which represents a decrease of 0.3 percent in comparison to November that was at 5.3 percent.
“We anticipated that the unemployment rate would continue to decrease in December. We have always seen slight increases in number of people working from November to December as employers bring on additional labor force to help with the demand increase during the holiday season,” Rogelio Trevino, Executive Director at WSST, said.
The 5.0 percent unemployment rate in the South Texas area represented 6,173 residents seeking employment in December. The total reported Civilian Labor Force was at 123,486, meaning that 117,313 people are employed.
The State of Texas reported a 4.3 percent unemployment rate, while the national unemployment rate was reported at 3.7 percent, according to the report by TWC.
Essential Jobs reported an increase in employment by industry, such as the Leisure and Hospitality (9.6%), Other Services (4.4%), Information (3.8%), Natural Resources and Mining and Education & Health Care (2.1%), Trade, Transportation and Utilities (31.0%), Manufacturing (0.9%), and Public Administration (0.2%).
Industries reporting losses were the following: Construction, Financial Activities, and Professional and Business Services.
“It is promising to see the increases in jobs in the essential jobs and service industry jobs. These were the industries that were most affected by the pandemic and it is expected that the job openings in those industries will slowly begin to fill again,” Trevino said. “Workforce Solutions for South Texas stands ready to assist job seekers and employers connect to fill the vacancies that currently exist.”

Activities
For those looking for a job, we invite them to the “We Need Your Talent” Virtual Job Fair. This event will take place on Wednesday, January 26, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at https://bit.ly/virtual0126. If anyone needs assistance with their resume or register, give us a call at 956-794-6500.
For parents working in the service industry and need child care assistance, we invite you to apply to receive 12 months of paid child care scholarship. Parents need to be working in the Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Accommodation, Food Services, and Retail Trade industries. To learn more visit www.southtexasworkforce.org. To apply today, visit bit.ly/applysir.
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.

LAREDO, Texas – August 2020 — Workforce Solutions for South Texas (WSST) reported a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the Laredo MSA’s that decreased by 0.9 percent in July down to 6.7 percent. The State of Texas reported a 6.0 percent unemployment rate, while the national unemployment rate was reported at 5.7 percent, according to a report by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).

The three-county Workforce Solutions for South Texas (WSST) area of Jim Hogg, Webb, and Zapata counties reported a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 7.0 percent in July 2021 this represents a decrease of 1.0 percent in comparison to June 2021 that was at 8.0 percent.

“As employers continue to post job opportunities, the labor force is returning to work. An almost one full percentage point drop in unemployment indicates that jobs are being filled and this is good news for local businesses”, Rogelio Trevino, WSST Executive Director, said.

The South Texas area, serving Jim Hogg, Webb, and Zapata counties, reported a Civilian Labor Force of 122,863, with 8,542 unemployed. This means that 114,321 people are employed in the three-county area.

Essential Jobs reported an increase in employment by industry, such as the Construction (6.8%); and Professional and Business Services (5.1%); Natural Resources and Mining (3.4%); Information (0.6%); and, Financial Activities (0.1%). The manufacturing industry reported no change.

Industries reporting losses were the following: Other Services, Education and Health Services, Public Administration, Leisure and Hospitality, and the Trade, Transportation, and Utilities.

“Some of the industries that showed slight decreases are industries that typically have shown decreases in jobs as the summer months closeout and portions of the labor force return to school,” Trevino said. “There are some industries that are rebounding from the impacts of the COVID pandemic and show some slight increases in hiring.

“We will continue to monitor the fluctuations in the job openings as some businesses are still being impacted by the next surge in the pandemic,” Trevino added.
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.

Virtual Job Fair

The Bi-Weekly Job Fair is transitioning back to a virtual platform to serve the community, including those who can’t make it to the One-Stop center.

The “August Vibes 2 Bi-Weekly Virtual Job Fair” has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 25 from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. The afternoon schedule is considering job seekers who can’t participate in the morning events.

Employers who are interested in participating at any of these events can register by visiting the short link bit.ly/augustvibes2021

Job Seekers interested in participating need to have an updated profile in WorkInTexas, and register at bit.ly/augustvibes2.

“Workforce Solutions for South Texas continues to collaborate with local employers and job seekers in helping them match up for hiring opportunities,” Trevino added.

The Texas Labor Market & Career Information Data for July is scheduled to be released on Friday, September 17, 2021, at 9:00 a.m.

LAREDO ⎯ May 2021 — Workforce Solutions for South Texas (WSST) reported a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 7.3 percent in April 2021 for the three-county South Texas Workforce Development area. This represents a decrease of 0.9 percent in comparison to March 2021.
The City of Laredo MSA’s unemployment rate decreased to 7.0 percent in April down from 7.9 percent in March. The State’s is at 6.3 percent, while the national unemployment rate was reported at 5.7 percent, according to a report by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
The South Texas area, serving Jim Hogg, Webb, and Zapata counties, reported a Civilian Labor Force of 120,813, with 8,818 unemployed. This means that 111,995 people are employed in the three-county area.
“The continued decrease in unemployment shows that employers are hiring as our area recovers from the impact of the pandemic. The three-county workforce development area had a decrease in the number of unemployed individuals in March there were 10, 005 unemployed and in April there were 8,818 equaling 1,187 fewer unemployed individuals in one month also a good sign indicating a recovering economy,” said Rogelio Trevino, Executive Director at Workforce Solutions for South Texas.
Essential Jobs reported an increase in the employment by industry, such as the Natural Resources and Mining, Professional and Business Services, and Leisure and Hospitality (4.1%); Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (3.2%); Other Services (2.5%); and, Information (1.3%); Manufacturing (1.0%); Education and Health Services (0.8%).
Industries reporting losses were the following: Financial Activities, Public Administration, and Construction.
“It’s very encouraging to see most industries rebounding from the pandemic and showing increases in hiring percentages this month. The industries that did not show growth this month will most likely respond positively as workers return to work and begin to spend more as wages for new hires expand. Workforce Solutions for South Texas is most excited to be able to assist all employers with their hiring needs as the economy continues to open and expand,” said Trevino.
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.

Hiring Events
The One-Stop center in Laredo, located at 1406 Jacaman Road, opened its doors at 40% of capacity, and employers are coming back to conduct In-Person Hiring Events.
A successful recent example was the hiring event conducted by the Laredo Independent School District (LISD) Food Department on Thursday, May 20, 2021.
During that day a total of 80 job seekers visited the center, and at the end of the day, the representatives from LISD reported a total of 55 hires on the spot.
“The recent successes we are having with our in-person hiring events shows that both employers and job seekers are eager to return to work. Our Workforce Center staff are excited and ready to serve our customers as we help the South Texas economy grow and get people back to work.
We strongly encourage employers and job seekers to contact or visit our workforce centers so we can help our businesses and labor force connect,” added Trevino.
The Texas Labor Market & Career Information Data for May is scheduled to be released on Friday, June 18, 2021, at 9:00 a.m.