Jobless rate falls to 3.5 percent in Gonzales County

Echoing trends both nationally and statewide, unemployment in Gonzales County dropped by half a point in September 2023, dipping from 4.0 to 3.5 percent, according to state Labor Market Information (LMI) figures released by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).

Gonzales saw its labor force increase by 76 workers from 9,533 in August 2023 to 9,609 in September; however, the number of employed workers went up by 121 from 9,148 to 9,269 and the number filing jobless claims dropped from 385 to 340, a difference of 45.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Labor reported there were 336,000 jobs added nationally in September, far above what was anticipated and 109,000 more than the 227,000 jobs that were gained in August 2023. The national unemployment rate remained steady at 3.8 percent, just 0.4 percent off the 54-year low of 3.4 percent set in January 2023.

Meanwhile, the state of Texas added nearly 56,000 jobs in September as unemployment fell from 4.5 percent to 4.1 percent and jobless claims dropped by nearly 65,000.

Gonzales County did not have either the lowest or highest jobless rate of the seven counties which comprise the Golden Crescent Workforce Development Area.

For the entire Golden Crescent Workforce Development Area, the unemployment rate for September 2023 was 3.8 percent, a drop of 0.4 percent from the 4.2 percent recorded in August 2023. This represented a total of 3,500 residents in Gonzales, Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Jackson, Lavaca and Victoria counties seeking employment out of a total workforce of 92,934 people. A total of 376 fewer people filed jobless claims in the Golden Crescent area while nearly 250 jobs were added.

The counties in the Golden Crescent with the lowest unemployment rate were Calhoun County at 3.2 percent, followed by Gonzales, Lavaca, Jackson and DeWitt, all at 3.5 percent, Goliad County at 3.7 percent and Victoria County bringing up the rear at 4.2 percent.

Unemployment rates since September 2021 for Gonzales County are:

• September 2021, 3.8 percent.

• October 2021, 3.6 percent.

• November 2021, 3.5 percent

• December 2021, 3.2 percent

• January 2022, 3.6 percent

• February 2022, 3.4 percent

• March 2022, 2.7 percent.

• April 2022, 2.6 percent.

• May 2022, 2.9 percent.

• June 2022, 3.5 percent.

• July 2022, 3.2 percent.

• August 2022, 3.2 percent.

• September 2022, 3.1 percent.

• October 2022, 3.1 percent.

• November 2022, 3.1 percent

• December 2022, 2.7 percent.

• January 2023, 3.7 percent.

• February 2023, 4.0 percent.

• March 2023, 3.5 percent.

• April 2023, 3.2 percent.

• May 2023, 3.5 percent.

• June 2023, 3.7 percent.

• July 2023, 4.0 percent.

• August 2023, 4.0 percent.

• September 2023, 3.5 percent.