TribBlog: Unemployment Rises in Texas

The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 8.3 percent in October, up from 5.2 percent a year ago, and up slightly from the 8.2 percent recorded in September, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

TWC said the state actually added 41,700 jobs in October, but the number of people looking for work was also up.

The worst numbers in the state were in the Golden Triangle area and along the Texas-Mexico border. Unemployment in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission reached 11.2 percent on a non-seasonally adjusted basis. It was 10.8 percent in Beaumont-Port Arthur, 10.5 percent in Brownsville-Harlingen, and 9.5 percent in El Paso.

The lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Lubbock, 5.4 percent, Amarillo, 5.5 percent, Midland, 5.8 percent, and Bryan-College Station, at 6 percent.

Although it's up, the state rate is lower than the national rate of 10.2 percent.