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Texas Jobless Rate Holds Steady At 4.4 Percent

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AUSTIN (AP) - Texas' statewide unemployment rate held steady in May at 4.4 percent, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday.

The jobless average last month remained the same as the April figure. Nationwide unemployment for May was 4.7 percent, according to a TWC statement.

Amarillo had the lowest jobless rate in Texas last month at 2.8 percent. The Austin-Round Rock area had a 2.9 percent unemployment rate for May, the TWC said. The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area had the highest statewide unemployment rate at 7.0 percent, commission officials said.

Texas has added an estimated 171,800 seasonally adjusted jobs over the past year, including 200 nonfarm positions added in May. The state has added jobs in 13 of the last 14 months, the Texas Workforce Commission reported.

Employment rose in the financial activities industry by 4,800 jobs in May. Education and health services added 3,700 positions, according to the state agency.

"We must continue to build and support partnerships that connect employers to workers efficiently and equip job seekers with skills that help them succeed," TWC chairman Andres Alcantar said.

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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