Lubbock Unemployment Rate Drops; Gov. Abbott Seeks Federal Aid

Although the unemployment rate continues to slowly decline in Texas, the unemployed are still having a hard time. That could soon change though, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who says the state is applying for federal funding.

The Texas Workforce Commission has released the state’s latest unemployment numbers. For the month of July 2020, the state’s unemployment rate fell to 8.2%, down from 8.7% in June 2020, which was also down from the 12.7% unemployment rate in May 2020.

The current Texas unemployment rate of 8.2% is also 2.2% less than the national unemployment rate of 10.2%. However, the state unemployment rate is still more than double what it was at this same time last year. In July of 2019, the unemployment rate was just 4%.

According to the Texas Workforce Commission, Lubbock has also seen a decrease in unemployment. The July unemployment rate for Lubbock is 6.4%, down from the 10.5% in June. The July 2019 unemployment rate was just 3.4%.

With no end in sight for the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s unclear exactly when many unemployed could find new jobs. Governor Abbott announced Thursday, August 20, that the state will be applying for federal funding to help those who are still unemployed in Texas. If approved, unemployed Texans could receive an additional $300 to $400 per week.

The Texas Tribune writes that at least 10 other states have already been approved for the funding. More than 3.2 million Texans have filed for unemployment since the COVID-19 pandemic first began in March 2020. More than 61,000 Texans filed for unemployment during the week of August 10, 2020.