Total Nonagricultural Employment in the MSAs recovered from last month’s employment decline by adding 10,400 jobs in May. Job expansions were centered in Leisure and Hospitality. Nine MSAs recorded over-the-month gains with the Dallas-Plano-Irving area and the Austin-Round Rock MSA being responsible for the majority of the employment increase. The annual growth rate for Total Nonagricultural Employment fell from -1.2 percent in April to -1.5 percent in May. The annual growth rate has remained negative for the past four months, marking the first time that the MSAs experienced negative rates since 2003. In the last 12 months, 145,400 jobs have been lost. Six MSAs experienced positive annual growth rates. The Odessa MSA registered the highest annual growth rate at 1.8 percent, followed by the Midland and the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood MSAs at 1.0 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.
Leisure and Hospitality gained 10,800 jobs in May, a monthly growth rate of 1.2 percent. May was the fourth consecutive monthly increase for Leisure and Hospitality as the industry demonstrated normal seasonal patterns. The Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown MSA and the Dallas-Plano-Irving area had the largest monthly gains with increases of 4,800 and 2,100 jobs, respectively. Leisure and Hospitality recorded a negative annual growth rate for the second consecutive month with a rate of -0.6 percent. This industry has not witnessed two consecutive months of negative annual growth rates since July and August of 1991. Nine MSAs experienced positive annual growth rates while five of those posted annual growth rates above 3.0 percent. The Tyler MSA led with an annual growth rate of 6.3 percent. The Odessa, Midland, Texarkana, and Lubbock MSAs followed with annual growth rates of 5.1 percent, 4.4 percent, 3.8 percent, and 3.1 percent, respectively.
Education and Health Services employment gained 6,200 jobs in the MSAs in May. The Dallas-Plano-Irving area accounted for 65.0 percent of the job creation in the MSAs. Education and Health Services recorded an annual growth rate of 3.7 percent. The annual growth rate has remained at or above 3.0 percent since April 2008, with the most recent peak at 4.1 percent in March 2009. The Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood MSA registered the highest annual growth rate at 7.5 percent, followed by the Tyler MSA at 7.3 percent.
Other Services rebounded from a slight employment loss in April with the addition of 4,800 jobs in May. In comparison, the average April-to-May employment increase in this industry over the past five years was the addition of 1,600 jobs. The Laredo MSA recorded the largest monthly percentage increase at 4.4 percent. Other Services includes repair and maintenance shops, personal and laundry services, as well as religious, civic, and professional organizations. This industry lost 5,900 jobs over the year, for an annual growth rate of -1.7 percent. The annual growth rate has been negative for four consecutive months. Contrary to the industry, four MSAs registered positive annual growth rates. The Austin-Round Rock and Odessa MSAs posted the highest annual growth rates, with 8.0 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively.
Following a loss in April, Retail Trade employment gained 1,000 jobs in May. The Dallas-Plano-Irving area posted the largest monthly increase with 1,100 positions. Since May 2008, Retail Trade lost 4,300 resulting in the annual growth rate remaining at -0.4 percent for the third consecutive month. The annual growth rate has been negative for the last seven months. Nine MSAs countered the negative annual growth rates in Retail Trade. The College Station-Bryan MSA experienced the largest annual growth rate at 4.1 percent, followed by the Odessa and the Laredo MSAs at 3.1 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.
Manufacturing employment in the MSAs declined by 7,900 jobs in May. The MSAs accounted for 74.0 percent of the statewide job loss of 10,700 in Manufacturing. The Dallas-Plano-Irving area, the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown MSA and the San Antonio MSA accounted for 65.0 percent of the job loss in the MSAs. In the last 12 months, Manufacturing has lost 49,700 jobs for an annual growth rate of -6.2 percent.
