Reliably Austin
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Streaming troubles? We've made changes. Please click here on kut.org/streams for more information.

Austin Area Unemployment Rate Down to Six Percent

While the Austin-Round Rock area added jobs in March, construction jobs went down.
Photo by KUT News
While the Austin-Round Rock area added jobs in March, construction jobs went down.

The unemployment rate is down again in the Austin area.

According to Workforce Solutions, the unemployment rate for March dropped to six percent — that’s just a tenth of a percent lower than in February but remains well below the state and national averages.

Workforce Solutions Capital Area Executive Director Alan Miller says things are moving in the right direction at a slow and steady pace.“If we can crack that six percent, get down into the five percent range, then I think we’re moving forward very well at that point. We’re getting close. I would hope to see us break that sometime in the next two to three months," said Miller

The Austin area gained about 1800 jobs in March — that’s a slower growth rate than we’ve been seeing. The number of construction jobs dropped significantly (by about 2,300), but more jobs were added in other areas. Altogether, about 19,000 jobs have been added in the region in the past year.

Laura first joined the KUT team in April 2012. She now works for the statewide program Texas Standard as a reporter and producer. Laura came to KUT from the world of television news. She has worn many different hats as an anchor, reporter and producer at TV stations in Austin, Amarillo and Toledo, OH. Laura is a proud graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, a triathlete and enjoys travel, film and a good beer. She enjoys spending time with her husband and pets.
Related Content