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Houston's Unemployment Rate Takes a Fall

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The Houston Chronicle reports that Houston-area employers added 10,300 jobs from January to February this year, making the city's unemployment rate take a slight dip.  Now, Houston employment lawyers and economists say that the city is starting to make a slow recovery from the recession.

The local unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent in February, which was down from 8.8 percent in January. Data from the Texas Workforce Commission showed that the state's unemployment rate still sits at 8.2 percent. Yet Houston's job growth is a key sign that the economy is starting to pick up.

University of Houston economist Barton Smith says that local employers typically add 8,000 to 8,500 jobs during a one-month period, and that the 10,300 jobs that were created in February could reflect real job gains.

"I'm still pleasantly surprised that if anything, the Houston economy is showing a little more vigor than the national economy," Mr. Smith told The Houston Chronicle. "A year ago I thought we'd be dragging behind the parade but we're just not doing that."

Even though unemployment still affects many people in the Houston community, there are things that people can do to make ends meet if they were recently put out of a job. Workers who are unemployed should consider applying for unemployment benefits. FindLaw states that many workers who are covered under Unemployment Insurance (UI) are entitled to receive benefits if unemployed, as long as they were put out of work through no fault of their own. An Unemployment Insurance claim should be filed as soon as possible after unemployment begins.

For more information about unemployment, please visit our Related Resources links.

Related Resources:

  • Layoff Preparation and Survival Tips (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life Blog)
  • Unemployment Insurance: Overview (FindLaw)
  • Find a Houston Employment Lawyer (FindLaw)

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