Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the state of Texas has broken the total jobs record for two consecutive years. The governor, a Republican, celebrated the achievement upon the release of the figures for the month of September.
“Jobs are surging in Texas thanks to the best business climate and strongest workforce in the nation,” Abbott said in an Oct. 20 press release issued by the Office of the Texas Governor. “Texas employers added 61,400 jobs in September across diverse industries, marking 24 months in a row that the state has surpassed all previous records for total jobs.”
Per the release, Abbott touted the Lone Star State as the nation’s jobs leader because of the little to no restrictions that are in place. “That is why the Texas economy is the eighth-largest economy in the world,” he said. “With more Texans are working than ever before, we continue to build an even bigger, bolder Texas of tomorrow.”
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which release the jobs data every month, revealed that last month displayed new historic highs such as a new historic high for total jobs at 14,049,400, the release said. The agencies said other historic highs include the number of Texans currently working – employed or self-employed – at 14,515,800 the largest labor force ever in the state’s history at a record 15,141,300.
According to the governor’s office, Texas leads the nation in adding jobs the quickest within a 12-month span, with 435,800 jobs added from September 2022 to September 2023. The state’s annual growth rate at 3.2% bests the nation’s at 2.1%.