Austin/Round Rock unemployment level continues decline, to 3.1%

The Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.1 percent in December 2024, down slightly from 3.2 percent in November, according to data released earlier this month by the Texas Workforce Commission. The region continues its trend of maintaining a lower unemployment rate than both the Texas average of 3.7 percent and the national rate of 3.8 percent. The Austin metro added 3,200 jobs between November and December, closing the year with an annual growth rate of 1.7 percent, equivalent to 22,700 new jobs since December 2023. Key industries driving December’s job growth included trade, transportation, utilities, professional and business services, and financial activities. Sectors showing job declines for the final month of 2024 included government, leisure and hospitality, and private education and health services. Over the year, the mining, logging and construction sectors posted the most significant growth (+5.9 percent), while the information sector saw the largest decline (-3.1 percent). Travis County also saw a slight drop in unemployment, with the rate decreasing from 3.1 percent in November to 3 percent in December, representing 26,573 unemployed residents.