HispanicBusiness

Texas added 12,900 jobs in June as the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 7 percent from 6.9 percent in May, the Texas Workforce Commission said Friday. That's well below the U.S. unemployment rate of 8.2 percent.

In Fort Worth-Arlington, the unemployment rate ticked up to 7.3 percent in June, from 6.7 percent in May and 6.4 percent in April, the commission said.

But little should be read into Fort Worth-Arlington's increase because rates for metropolitan areas aren't seasonally adjusted, said Cheryl Abbot, regional labor economist with the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Dallas.

"It's because teachers go off the payrolls and students enter into the work force," she said. "The same thing happens when department stores build up for Christmas. We pull the numbers down a little because we know it's a seasonal occurrence."

For Dallas-Fort Worth, growth in various employment sectors is up 2.1 percent over the year, right at the statewide average of 2.2 percent, Abbot said, noting that nationally it's only 1.3 percent.

Nearly 13 million Texans are working or seeking jobs, an all-time high, the commission said.

"For nearly two years, employers in Texas have expanded their payrolls and kept the economic engine moving forward," said commission Chairman Andres Alcantar. "Since last year, the Texas economy has added more than 282,000 private-sector jobs."

Midland had the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 4.3 percent, followed by Odessa at 4.9 percent and Amarillo at 5.5 percent.

"Growth in June brought the number of private-sector jobs in Texas to more than 9 million," Workforce Commissioner Tom Pauken said. "Our state's private sector has grown at a rate of 3.2 percent over the last year, compared to the national private sector's annual growth rate of just 1.8 percent."

Several Texas industries added jobs in June, led by construction, which expanded by 9,600 positions. The industry has added 24,400 jobs over the year for a 4.4 percent annual growth rate.

The other services sector, which includes equipment/machinery repair, personal care services and social and civic organizations, gained 4,900 positions. The sector has recorded a 4.9 percent annual growth over the last year.

Employment in education and health services grew by 3,400 jobs. The sector has increased by 46,800 in the last year for an annual growth rate of 3.3 percent.