AMARILLO, TEXAS -- The unemployment rate in Amarillo is down almost one percent in the last year.
Amarillo maintains its position as the city with the third lowest unemployment rate in Texas. Coming in at first and second place is the Midland-Odessa Area.
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) announced on Friday that Amarillo's jobless rate for Oct. 2012 was 4.3 percent. That's down one-tenth of a percent from one month earlier in September.
Compared to one year ago in Oct. 2011, the unemployment rate in Amarillo is down by nearly one percent. In Oct. 2011, it was 5.2 percent.
As for a statewide average, the unemployment rate slipped to 6.6 percent. It's the second straight month of declines, according to the TWC.
TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar said Texas' economy continues to show strength compared to the national private sector.
"Private sector employers in Texas continue to drive our state's economic growth, having added 269,000 jobs over the year for an annual growth rate of 3.0 percent," Alcantar said. "The Texas economy continues to show strength compared to the national private sector, which has experienced an annual growth rate of 1.8 percent."
The national jobless rate in Oct. 2012 was 7.9 percent.
