AUSTIN, Texas — Governor Greg Abbott celebrated Texas’ record-breaking job growth on Saturday, highlighting the state as the nation’s leader in new employment.
According to the Governor’s office, Texas added 195,600 nonfarm jobs over the past 12 months, more than any other state.
Officials also say the state led the nation in jobs gained in August and set new records for total employment and the size of its labor force.
“Texas is America’s jobs leader,” Abbott said. “With the best business climate in the nation and a skilled and growing labor force, Texas is where businesses invest, jobs grow, and families thrive. Texas will continue to cut red tape and invest in businesses large and small to spur the economic growth of communities across our great state.”
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Texas Workforce Commission show that the state’s labor force reached a record 15,857,300, while the number of Texans working, including self-employed, totaled 15,213,500.
Total nonfarm jobs climbed to 14,347,700 after the state added 17,600 positions in August alone, more than any other state, the report says.
Abbott made headlines earlier this week, appointing a new agency director and signing two bills.
The Governor tabbed Jerome Greener as the Director of the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office (TREO), a new office designed to identify and eliminate unnecessary regulations within state agencies, on Wednesday.
Jerome Greener, based in San Antonio, currently serves as the Executive Vice President of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Abbott believes Greener’s views and leadership abilities will benefit agency operations.
“With a proven record of championing limited government and commonsense public policy, Jerome is an exceptional choice to lead TREO as it works to ease burdens on Texans and make government leaner, faster, and more accountable,” Abbott said Wednesday.
The Governor also signed House Bill 20 and House Bill 120 into law, expanding career and technical education opportunities for students across Texas.