SAN ANTONIO – The latest unemployment reading from Workforce Solutions Alamo shows an uptick, with a 4.3% rate in and around the San Antonio area.
Adrian Lopez, CEO of Workforce Solutions Alamo, joined Leading SA to discuss recent trends.
Lopez elaborated that the region’s 0.1% rise since last month’s reading is not necessarily a bad sign as it is still lower than the state’s unemployment rate, which is 4.5%.
“It’s a slight uptick from the 4.2 in the previous month. But all things considered, when you think about sort of what’s happening in the state. We’re actually a little lower than the state unemployment rate. So the state is about four and a half percent. So we’re doing better.”
Lopez went on to share additional factors that affect the area’s unemployment rate.
“When you look at sort of what’s happening from the perspective of increases in the labor force, So for our case, we had about 40,000 people year over year that, you know, actually decided to go into the labor force. We’re adding, you know, folks to the labor force that tends to affect the unemployment rate just as well because not everybody just sort of gets a job automatically the day they decide to get into the labor force,” Lopez said.
As for the regions concerned, Lopez says the organization is not too concerned, noting how Texas has seen 30 months of increased job growth.
Lopez even highlighted the workforce’s role in our economy and how there must be a balance between economic development, business development, and the workforce.
“Workforce is extremely key to the local economy and then to the national economy... Workforce Development Month offers the opportunity for us to recognize all the efforts associated with what happens with that ecosystem, what happens in the case of, well, what happens in Alamo colleges, for example, with our local nonprofits that all produce some level of pipeline to feed the jobs and the needs that are needed in our local employers,” Lopez said.
If you are looking for a job, there are openings.
Lopez detailed the various jobs and resources given to get those types of jobs regardless of skill set.
“Construction, aerospace, oil, gas, manufacturing and others. They continue to produce jobs, tons of jobs. You know, And, you know, one of the things that are really quite fascinating about our work here at Workforce Solutions Alamo is if you don’t have the skill set and if you don’t have the education, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t have a real opportunity to get into one of these good paying jobs in these industries that we support,” Lopez said.
For more information on Workforce Solutions Alamo, click here.