The State of Texas experienced dismal job growth during the month of May. But now, reports The Houston Chronicle, the Lone Star State’s job numbers have rebounded somewhat.
As unemployment has risen a bit, the state is still maintaining an overall trajectory of slow growth. Texas added 7,200 jobs last month. That puts the state’s employment base at around one and a half percent above this time last year. Unemployment is rising in part because of workers coming off the sidelines to look for jobs.
Meanwhile, it turns out May wasn’t so bleak after all. The numbers for that month were revised upward by almost seven thousand jobs. The service sector seems to be driving growth, with government jobs and leisure and hospitality adding to the slight recovery.
Things aren’t improving everywhere though. Big oilfield services companies like Halliburton and Schlumberger announced thousands more cuts to their payrolls. Oil execs did, however, express confidence that the worst of the downturn was over.