Governor Greg Abbott said Texas led all states in job creation over the past year, citing U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data released Oct. 20, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
According to the release, Texas gained 154,300 jobs over the last 12 months. With an annual growth rate of 1.1 percent, the state outpaced the national rate by 0.8 percentage points, the governor’s office said.
“Texas is America’s jobs leader,” Abbott said in the release. “Businesses big and small invest with confidence in Texas and in our growing and skilled workforce. That means bigger paychecks for more Texans and more opportunities for Texas families to prosper for years to come.”
The governor’s office also pointed to labor market data the Texas Workforce Commission released Friday. According to the release, nonfarm jobs in Texas totaled 14,461,300 in September, a gain of 154,300 jobs over the last 12 months. The number of Texans working, including self-employed Texans, totaled 15,246,400, the office said. The Texas labor force totaled 15,948,400, with a gain of 15,800 people over the month.
The governor’s office said Texas has gained more than 2.6 million jobs since January 2015, when Abbott took office, and that weekly wages have risen to an all-time high. According to the release, Texas is the top state for attracting new, job-creating business investment and the top state for small business job creation.