Happy talk about Texas employment

2010 was a better year for employment in Texas than 2009 was.

Texas employers expanded payrolls by 20,000 jobs in December, the third straight month the state has gained jobs, according to data released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission.

The state gained in most major employment sectors, led by construction, with 8,700 jobs.

“It’s a very positive picture on job growth,” said Mine Yucel, an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

The state unemployment rate edged up to 8.3 percent from 8.2 percent in November and 8.1 percent in October. But even that may be a sign of recovery, Yucel said.

To be counted as unemployed, a person without a job must be seeking work. As employers add jobs, some people who had given up looking for work are apt to start trying to find a job again.

“It means people are seeing more jobs out there, and they’re coming back into the labor market,” Yucel said, referring to the rise in the unemployment rate. “As the economy grows, we expect that rate to come down.”

[…]

During 2010 as a whole, Texas payrolls expanded by 230,800 jobs after shrinking by more than 350,000 in 2009.

[…]

“The monthly growth was strong in December, and the year-over-year growth is representative of a solid overall recovery in the Texas job market,” said Waco economist Ray Perryman.

That’s good, and I’m delighted for everyone who found a job this past year. But I wonder, is all this optimism truly warranted at a time when the Legislature is working on a budget outline that might result in 100,000 teacher layoffs, which would be on top of county and city layoffs? Sure, maybe these things won’t happen – maybe the Lege will come to its senses and use the Rainy Day Fund to blunt some of the impact of the shortfall, thus limiting teacher firings to the 10,000 range or so – but how can you not even discuss the possibility when assessing the outlook for 2011? That just doesn’t seem right to me

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3 Responses to Happy talk about Texas employment

  1. Pingback: Tweets that mention Happy talk about Texas employment – Off the Kuff -- Topsy.com

  2. One hundred thousand teachers would be eligible for unemployment benefits at the end of their contract. Now I’ve never anticipated something this large in a layoff but it seems the districts would have to pay the remainder of the 12 monthly checks after the last day of school or work days. That would amount to two or three( immediate) additional checks of already earned money. There is the possibility that since this is a (reduction in force) that there could be a class action lawsuit for immediate unemployment benefits. Under normal circumstances a teacher under contract is not be eligible during the summer break. Teacher salaries vary due to experience, degrees held, and districts they work for however the payout would be mostly maximum benefits and if they all drew their benefits the cost would be huge. Assuming that half went back to work it could still possibly be a billion dollar payout in unemployment benefits or half that for only 26 weeks. Just rough estimation on the math. Many would fall behind on their homes, credit cards if they have them, car payments and everything else.

  3. texaschick says:

    More good news (Not) for Texans.):

    Texas on road to highway crisis
    Debt to top construction funds.
    http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/texas_legislature/article/Texas-on-road-to-highway-crisis-984511.php

    Why didn’t any of this information come out before the Nov. elections???

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