Texas employers added 15,400 nonfarm jobs in April, a bit lower than the monthly average of 19,900 so far this year, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

Meanwhile, the state's unemployment rate fell again to its record low of 4.1 percent, the same rate as in February but lower than the 4.3 percent of March, the commission said Friday.

The Texas gains contrast with the U.S. economy, which shed 20,000 jobs in April. The national unemployment rate stood at 5 percent last month, down from 5.1 percent the month before.

"Texas continues to outpace national trends with its record low unemployment rate," said Tom Pauken, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission.

The commission revised its preliminary jobs figure for March. According to the revised figures released Friday, Texas employers added 37,900 jobs last month rather than the 13,500 previously announced.

The job creation figures released for April are preliminary.

According to those numbers, Texas employers added 6,900 jobs in financial activities in April, despite the recent turmoil in U.S. and global markets. Employers also added 4,200 jobs in leisure and hospitality, and 3,000 in construction.

Manufacturing lost 1,700 jobs. Still, some manufacturing companies added employees, said Jill Noss, regional operations manager for North Texas and parts of East Texas at Adecco, a staffing firm.

"We've seen a high demand for any kind of manufacturing or production associates," she said, adding that some of the strongest demand has come from cellphone manufacturers.

"We're continually adding jobs, and we see that here in D-FW."

The unemployment rate in the Dallas-Fort Worth area was 3.9 percent, down from 4.2 percent in March but the same as in April 2007.

The lowest unemployment rates last month were in West Texas, which is booming thanks to the high price of oil.

Midland had a 2.4 percent unemployment rate, the state's lowest. Amarillo and Odessa had a 2.8 percent rate, and Lubbock's was 3 percent.

Texas employers added 262,000 jobs between April 2007 and April 2008, for a growth rate of about 2.5 percent.

The comparable rate for the national economy was about 0.3 percent.