The Austin-Round Rock region lost the least number of jobs in Texas last year, shedding a net 2,300 positions, or 0.3 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics year-end report released today.
The area's workforce performance was second only to the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission region, which was the only Texas area to add positions year-over-year. Victoria, Texas reported the highest job losses between 2008 and 2009, dropping 4 percent.
The Austin area went from 783,300 jobs in 2008 to 781,000 last year. The average jobless rate increased to an average 6.9 percent in 2009 from 5.2 percent the previous year. Dallas dropped about 50,100 positions last year, or 1.7 percent, while San Antonio lost 9,000, which equates to about 1.1 percent.
The Houston area lost 92,500 jobs year over year, amounting to about 3.5 percent. The Austin-Round Rock region reported a 6.9 percent jobless rate in December, according to the most recent Texas Workforce Commission numbers. The rate was stable from November.
