Texas unemployment holds steady, Arkansas rate dips below 4 percent in December

AUSTIN-The Texas unemployment rate held steady in December at 4.6 percent, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday.
The statewide jobless figure was also 4.6 percent in November, according to the commission. The nationwide unemployment rate for December was 4.7 percent.
Texas has added an estimated 210,200 seasonally adjusted jobs since December 2015, with the addition of 800 nonfarm jobs last month, the agency said in a statement.
"Private-sector employment has been strong over the year with overall job growth of 172,600 jobs added," said Commissioner Ruth R. Hughs. "These numbers are a testament to the perseverance and resilience of our Texas employers and the diversity of our Texas economy."
ARKANSAS
LITTLE ROCK-Arkansas' unemployment rate has dipped back below 4 percent in the final month of 2016.
The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services said Friday that the state's unemployment rate in December was 3.9 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from November's numbers. The state's jobless rate has hovered around 4 percent for the past six months after starting 2016 at 4.4 percent.
The national unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in December.
In Arkansas, seven industry sectors posted job
losses in December, but the state says those were mostly seasonal jobs. The biggest losses came in professional and business services and government, while trade, transportation and utilities added
2,300 jobs.