Unemployment Rate Flat Statewide; Benefits Extended

The unemployment rate in Texas was unchanged from December to January, staying at 8.2%, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.  Despite recent job losses, the Texas labor force reached 12.1 million workers in January.  The Texas unemployment rate stayed below the national rate of 9.7%.

In the Austin-Round Rock metro, the January jobless rate was slightly higher at 7.6% than December's figure of 7%.

TWC announced today that the deadline for jobless Texans to file for emergency unemployment benefits has been extended until April 3, allowing about 385,000 people who have had benefits long-term to continue receiving those benefits.  The extension was approved by Congress, and the emergency unemployment benefits are federally funded, meaning Texas employers aren't charged for the extended claims.

If you are currently receiving emergency unemployment benefits, you can find updated information on your claim at http://ui.texasworkforce.org, or by calling UI Tele-Serv at 1-800-558-8321 and pressing option 2. There is no need to call TWC to qualify for this extension unless you receive a letter telling them to call.