Unemployment in Bryan-College Station dropped by nearly 1,000 people since June, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The figure fell from 6,500 to 5,500.
Dennis Jansen, director of the Private Enterprise Research Center at Texas A&M, said employment has grown a little faster than the labor force, which he called somewhat unusual. Jansen said the leisure and hospitality sector lost about 3% of its jobs since last year, or several hundred jobs. He said that change is not unusual, because the non-seasonally adjusted numbers rise when the university returns to session and can shift from year to year with the university calendar.
Manufacturing and construction are up nearly 5% from a year ago, Jansen said. He pointed to major projects, including Terafab and Highway 6 construction, as contributors. He also said data centers are being built across Texas and drawing significant investment.