Crews work on The Wilcox on Wednesday afternoon in downtown Tyler. The historic building will be converted into apartment homes. Manufacturing and construction jobs were the industries with the highest amount of hiring in Tyler during the first quarter.

The latest job report from Texas Workforce Commission shows Texas broke record for total jobs in January, and Tyler’s contribution of 1,000 positions achieved a record of high job count of the last 13 out of 15 months.

In the report, Texas added 48,600 positions in January 2023, reaching 13.78 million total non-agricultural jobs. Since January 2022, 654,100 jobs have been added in Texas, marking an annual growth rate of 5%, data shows.

Tyler reported a 4% unemployment rate for January, according to data provided by the Texas Workforce Commission. It is a notable increase from December’s rate of 3.3%.

This still puts Tyler ahead of other major metropolitan areas like Abilene, Waco, El Paso and Texarkana — even the state of Texas.

As a whole, Texas has a reported rate of 4.2% unemployment rate, compared to the United States’ rate of 3.9%.

“The Texas economy continues to grow, and Texas has more people working than ever before,” Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chairman Bryan Daniel said in a press release. “The growth we’re seeing in the Lone Star State leads the nation, and TWC will continue to support efforts for continued growth.”

Rates that are seasonally adjusted reflect seasonal trends, such as construction in the summer and holiday hiring in the winter, and are considered a more accurate reflection of unemployment than unadjusted numbers.

“Usually during the first quarter, we see a higher hiring cycle,” said Stephen Lynch, director of community affairs of Workforce Solutions of East Texas. “With that said, manufacturing and construction jobs were the industries with the highest amount of hiring in Tyler.”

Workforce Solutions of East Texas helps those in the community in need of employment, anywhere from cleaning up resumes to applying for jobs.

Lynch said with new homes being built, the demand for construction help has made an impact on Tyler’s job market.

“It is thriving quite well,” he said.

According to the Labor Market review, 251 counties experienced an increase in their unemployment rate over the month, while two counties decreased and had no change.

The report also stated that over the year, the civilian labor force increased in 187 counties, while 65 counties experienced a decline and two had no change.

The top employers by postings included Hospital Corporations of America, Walmart/Sam’s, Baylor Scott & White Health and Christus Health.

Top posted occupations included registered nurses and retail positions.

“Texas truly is America’s economic engine as we continue to break our all-time record for total jobs,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement regarding the January data from the Texas Workforce Commission.

The governor insists, despite the mixed economic outlook on a national level, the job growth in Texas is ongoing and strong.

“This legislative session, we will continue building the Texas of tomorrow by cutting property taxes and investing in workforce development, infrastructure upgrades, and strategic economic development tools. Working together, we will ensure Texas remains an unflinching force in the country and in this world.”

Employment estimates released by TWC are produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, and all estimates are subject to revision.

To access this and more employment data, visit TexasLMI.com.