Texas jobs created from July 2010 to July 2011 accounted for 20.5 percent of total new nonfarm jobs in the United States, according to the Real Estate Center’s latest Monthly Review of the Texas Economy.

During that period, Texas gained 278,100 nonfarm jobs, an annual growth rate of 2.7 percent compared with 1 percent for the nation. The state’s private sector added 292,700 jobs, an annual growth rate of 3.4 percent compared with 1.7 percent for the nation.

Seasonally adjusted unemployment in Texas increased to 8.4 percent in July 2011 from 8.1 in July 2010. Meanwhile, the U.S. rate decreased from 9.5 to 9.1 percent.

All Texas industries except the information industry and the state’s
government sector had more jobs in July than a year earlier. Six Texas metro areas (Brownsville-Harlingen, San Angelo, Sherman-Denison, Wichita Falls, Texarkana and Abilene) had fewer jobs. Lubbock ranked first in job creation, followed by Odessa, Tyler, Corpus Christi and Victoria.

The state’s actual unemployment rate in July 2011 was 8.7 percent. Midland had the lowest unemployment rate followed by Amarillo, Odessa, College Station-Bryan and Lubbock.

Source: Real Estate Center