Upshur Unemployment Rate Climbs In December

County's jobless rate in December rose, but slower than national figures

INTERNET, Feb. 16, 2009 -- The latest unemployment numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show the number of unemployed workers here in Upshur County continues to increase.

The local unemployment rate rose .1 percent in December, up to 5.0%. The BLS data says that amounts to 985 county residents without jobs.

Statewide, the Texas jobless rate rose .3% to 6.0%, meaning 711,824 Texans are looking for work.

“Our state’s economy has been fairly resilient during these months of economic uncertainty, but the national economic storm has reached Texas,” said Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chairman Tom Pauken. “The challenge we face now is to minimize the impact of the national trends by continuing to promote our strong business climate and address the skills needs of Texas employers.”

And while storm clouds might lie over our state, nationally, there is a blue norther blowing. Across the U.S., unemployment surged up .6%, to 7.1%, bringing the number of unemployed Americans to 10,999,000.