The latest jobs report shows new employment highs in Texas. In September, Texas more than doubled the amount of jobs added in August.
The latest jobs report shows new employment highs in Texas.
The report released by the Texas Workforce Commission on Friday shows the state added 40,000 non-farm jobs in September 2022. The latest figure is more than double the number of jobs added in August, according to Labor Commissioner Julian Alvarez.
As of Friday, the state’s unemployment is about 4%.
“More people are working today than have ever worked in this great state of ours,” Commissioner Alvarez said Friday.
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Mike Davis, a professor of economics at SMU Cox School of Business, explained the number of jobs that are “added” are defined as the number of people who have taken a job.
"People who weren't working before are now working. That's a good way to think about it," Davis said. “It looks like we added 25,000 to 26,000 in the leisure and hospitality sector. So, that’s over the half of the jobs that were added.”
For nearly two years, the leisure and hospitality industry has been recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Davis notes, there are still lingering challenges with hiring.
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“The restaurant business, leisure and hospitality more generally…in a lot ways, they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place,” he said. “The kind of work they ask employees to do, it’s just hard work. That’s why you should always be nice to your server, they’re working really hard. A lot of these businesses, especially the restaurants, they just don’t have the flexibility to offer a lot more, higher pay. They’re being squeezed on the revenue side, too.”
Brandon Hurtado, owner of Hurtado Barbecue, understands the challenges many restaurant owners are experiencing. Hurtado Barbecue opened its third spot in Fort Worth last month, which is the first new location they have opened since 2020.
“If you asked me two years ago whether we would have two locations, I would say, no," Hurtado said. “Three, definitely out of the question.”
One of the unique challenges with hiring for a barbeque restaurant comes from not being full service, he added.
“We don’t have servers. People are expecting a higher fixed pay. They have higher hourly costs, you know? That is really difficult for us trying to maintain whenever margins in barbecue are so slim as it is,” he said. “We’re constantly hiring. Every restaurant is constantly hiring. Not because there’s a lot of turnover, but people have different schedules. Different time commitments.”
Aside from the right skills, Hurtado said their staff members are what keep the business operating smoothly.
“Our employees here are what make the company special,” he said.
