Valley unemployment rates among highest in Texas, new report shows

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Texas Workforce Commission just released the Texas Labor Market Review for September. The review shows the Rio Grande Valley’s unemployment rate remains much higher than the national average, which is 4.3%.

The review also shows that unemployment rates across the Valley varied by county, with Hidalgo and Cameron counties ranking among the highest in the state. The cities of McAllen, Edinburg, and Mission were rated 7.1%, while Brownsville and Harlingen were rated 7.5%. Starr County had the highest unemployment in the state at 10.4%.

On Thursday, the City of Harlingen hosted a job fair. Many job seekers in attendance said they are actively seeking employment, putting in applications and making calls daily. They expressed frustration that, despite their persistence, it has been a challenge to find a job.

Julio Salinas, with Workforce Solutions corporate office in McAllen, says an uptick in the unemployment rate during this time of year is not uncommon.

"Perhaps new students who just graduated from college are now entering the workforce, so there’s more competition for the jobs available. Another factor here in the Valley that we see is that a lot of jobs lost over the summer, like teaching or government jobs, are typically regained within a couple of months,” said Salinas.

He adds that Workforce Solutions offers several resources to help connect people with job opportunities.

“We do offer classes at the centers. We also help them build a résumé, prep for interviews, and even teach them how to use WorkInTexas,” Salinas said.

Salinas shares that all these resources are free and available to everyone in the Valley. For more information on these services, visit the Texas Workforce Commission.