Unemployment in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metropolitan statistical area (MSA), rose to 3.6 percent since May, but the number of jobs increased by 1.5 percent over the past year, new data shows.
The data released Friday by Workforce Solutions Alamo, a Texas Workforce Commission board for the greater San Antonio area, shows 15,500 jobs were added to the region’s economy since June 2017. The MSA includes Bexar, Kendall, Comal, Guadalupe, Wilson, Atascosa, Medina, and Bandera counties.
The data shows the unemployment rate rose 0.4 percent since last month, and dropped by 0.1 percent since June 2017.
“This is typical for this time of year,” said Casey Whittington, a regional liason for Workforce Solutions Alamo. “The slight rise in unemployment can be attributed to seasonal cycles and schools being off for the summer.”
The report shows the greatest job growth occurred in the construction sector, which reported 1,100 additional jobs since last year. Nine hundred jobs were added in a service job category that includes personal and laundry services, religious services, and grantmaking. Employment in the sector of trade, transportation, and utilities grew by 700 jobs since June 2017.
The largest area of employment losses was in government, down 2,800 jobs, while education and health services lost 2,200 jobs. The professional and business services sector lost 800 jobs. These industries still reported a net positive annual number of jobs, according to the report.
The San Antonio region’s unemployment rate is less than the statewide rate, the report shows. The unadjusted unemployment rate in Texas increased by 0.5 percent, up to 4.2 percent from 3.7 percent in May 2017. Unadjusted numbers do not account for typical industry patterns of hiring and layoffs.
The San Antonio MSA is home to two of the fastest-growing counties, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. From 2016 to 2017, San Antonio’s population grew by 24,408 people, more than any city in the United States.
