Close to 500 new jobs were created in Mission in 2013 and the City’s unemployment dropped to the lowest rate in five years, according to the latest statistics from Texas Workforce Commission.
Mission’s annual average unemployment rate sunk to 8.5 percent, the lowest since 2008, and November’s 8 percent jobless rate was one the lowest single months for the City in the last five years. Mission’s unemployment rate bested both of the Valley’s metro areas and is third best in Hidalgo County just behind McAllen and Edinburg.
Mission employed 29,530 people in the City in December, the most ever since the Workforce Commission has kept separate statistics for cities in Texas. That’s also 465 more that were employed at the beginning of the year (Jan.); a significant net gain for the City.
The previous November had 29,377 working in the city, the second most ever and the month had an 8 percent unemployment rate. That month was part of six consecutive months, June through November, in the jobless rate reductions in Mission.