Unemployment rates in May were significantly lower in six states (Colorado, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Vermont), higher in two (Nebraska and South Carolina),and were generally stable for the rest of the 42 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unemployment rates for the Houston Area, selected Source: U.S. BLS, Current Employment Statistics. Change from Dec. 2018 to Dec. 2019 Dec. 2019 Houston area employment (number in thousands) Houston Area Economic Summary Keywords "unemployment, unemployment rate, LAUS, local area unemployment statistics, average weekly wages, quarterly AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas economy added 71,500 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in October. Annual employment growth for Texas was 2.6 percent in October, marking 90 consecutive months of annual growth. Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent, setting a record for the lowest unemployment rate recorded in four decades.