After several months of decline, the unemployment rate rose at the city, county, state and national levels for the month of May, according to data released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission.
The city’s unemployment rate rose three-tenths of a percentage point, from 5.2 percent in April to 5.5 percent in May, with 3,508 looking for work, according to the commission.
But the city unemployment rate is still lower than it was at the same time last year, when it was 6.2 percent.
The Denton County unemployment rate also rose three-tenths of a percentage point, from 5.8 percent in April to 6.1 percent in May, with 23,048 people looking for work.
Like the city’s unemployment rate, it is seven-tenths of a percentage point lower than it was at the same time last year, when it was 6.8 percent, the commission reported.
Texas’ jobless rate rose to 6.9 percent month to month but remained lower than it was at the same time last year, when it was 7.8 percent.
At the national level, unemployment rose from 7.7 percent in April to 7.9 percent in May.
Texas gained 15,300 jobs in the private sector for May, which made a total of 287,800 jobs over the year, the Workforce Commission reported.
The leisure and hospitality industry added 6,900 jobs in May, totaling 52,000 jobs for the year.
— Rachel Mehlhaff
