WASHINGTON COUNTY HAS THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN OVER FIVE YEARS

  

Washington County recorded the lowest unemployment rate in March since the beginning of the economic crisis at the end of 2008, over five and half years ago.

The Texas Workforce Commission reported the county had a 4.4 percent jobless rate in March, down from the February reading of 4.6 percent.  The county’s unemployment rate was 5 percent last March. 

The statewide rate also declined significantly in March.  In the Workforce Commissioners released Friday, Texas has a 5.3 percent unemployment rate in March, down from 5.9 percent in February.

Area counties also showed strong improvement in the unemployment picture.  Austin County’s unemployment rate declined to five percent  from 5.6 percent.

Burleson County’s unemployment rate declined to 4.6 percent from 5.2 percent.

Colorado County lowered its unemployment rate to 4.4. percent from 4.7 percent.

Fayette County’s unemployment was down to 3.5 per cent from 3.8 percent.

Grimes County had a 5.1 percent unemployment rate from the 5.4 percent rate the previous month.

Seven of the state’s 254 counties had doubled digit unemployment.  Starr County had the highest unemployment rate in the state with 18.7 percent.

Hemphill County, the oil and gas rich county in north Texas had the lowest rate in the state and it actually dropped below two percent in its jobless rate.  Hemphill County had only 1.9 percent of its unemployment out of a job.