Workforce
The Central Texas Workforce
Among the region's strong assets is the Central Texas workforce, representing one of the most educated talent pools in the country. In the Austin metro, 44.8% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, compared to 32.0% nationally, putting Austin in the top 10 among the largest metros. The region benefits from over 50 colleges and universities and 400,000 enrolled students within a 100-mile radius. Our growing workforce is young and eager, with a median age that is over four years younger than that of the rest of the nation.
Labor Force, Employment & Unemployment
Labor Force, Employment & Unemployment, 2017
| LABOR FORCE | EMPLOYMENT | UNEMPLOYMENT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUMBER | RATE | |||
| Austin MSA | 1,152,626 | 1,116,938 | 35,688 | 3.1% |
| Bastrop Co. | 40,124 | 38,709 | 1,415 | 3.5% |
| Caldwell Co. | 18,406 | 17,694 | 712 | 3.9% |
| Hays Co. | 108,012 | 104,634 | 3,378 | 3.1% |
| Travis Co. | 698,755 | 677,830 | 20,925 | 3.0% |
| Williamson Co. | 287,330 | 278,071 | 9,259 | 3.2% |
Unemployment Rates
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin MSA | 5.7% | 5.2% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Texas | 6.7% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| U.S. | 8.1% | 7.4% | 6.2% | 5.3% | 4.9% | 4.4% |
Employment, Austin MSA
Employment Growth
Note: Time series of annual and monthly numbers for these and additional workforce indicators are updated monthly on the Chamber's Economic Indicators page.
Source: Texas Workforce Commission, Local Area Unemployment Statistics.
Workforce Data
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