Odessa employment

Odessa's unemployment rate continued to drop in April, hitting 2.8 percent, down from 3.0.

"When you look at all the industry composition, what can you say?" said Willie Taylor, executive director of the Permian Basin Workforce Development Board. "It's just great to be in the Permian Basin."

Taylor said the entire 17-county area saw growth during the month. Once again, Midland led the state with a low unemployment rate of 2.4 percent, down from 2.6.

Odessa was actually tied for second best rate with Amarillo, which improved from 3.1 to 2.8 percent.

While mining and construction - aka oilfield work - was still strong, Taylor said job growth in the Permian Basin was balanced.

"We're very consistent on our growth pattern," he said.

The Texas unemployment rate dropped to 3.9 percent - the lowest unemployment rate the state's labor force has seen for the month since 1979.

The ranks of the unemployed decreased by an estimated 40,200 in April, to 448,700, the Texas Workforce Commission said Friday.

And initial claims for unemployment benefits fell to 87,600 in April, with 1,500 fewer people receiving benefits than in March.

April's jobless rate decreased three-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month. The Texas unemployment rate continued to outperform the nation's, which had a jobless rate of 4.8 percent.

The Workforce Commission said Texas employers added 15,400 jobs in April.

The biggest gain was in the financial services sector, which added 6,900 jobs. Some of the businesses in that industry include commercial banks, credit unions and insurance agencies, as well as real estate agents, rental car companies and office equipment rental.

Leisure and hospitality added 4,200 jobs while construction gained 3,000 more jobs, according to the commission. Smaller gains were reported in the education and health services sector and in other services.

The highest jobless rate in the state was in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area, at 5.7 percent.

OA staff writer Geoff Folsom and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

HOW'D WE DO?

Following are the preliminary April jobless rates for local areas in Texas, with revised March numbers in parentheses. The figures are not seasonally adjusted.

>> Abilene 3.2 (3.5).

>> Amarillo 2.8 (3.1).

>> Austin-Round Rock 3.3 (3.7).

>> Beaumont-Port Arthur 5.0 (5.4).

>> Corpus Christi 3.8 (4.2).

>> Dallas-Plano-Irving 4.0 (4.3).

>> El Paso 5.0 (5.5).

>> Fort Worth-Arlington 3.8 (4.1).

>> Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown 3.8 (4.1).

>> Lubbock 4.2 (3.3).

>> Midland 2.4 (2.6).

>> Odessa 2.8 (3.0).

>> San Angelo 3.2 (3.5).

>> San Antonio 3.6 (3.9).

>> Waco 3.5 (3.9).

>> Wichita Falls 3.5 (3.9).