HOUSTON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The unemployment in the U.S. state of Texas in October fell below 4 percent for the first time in more than 40 years, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday.
The unemployment declined to 3.9 percent from 4 percent as employment growth accelerated to an annual rate of 2.6 percent, nearly double the national rate 1.4 percent.
According to the Workforce Commission, the state gained more than 71,000 jobs over the month and has added more than 300,000 over the past year.
Governor of Texas Greg Abbott said on Friday that Texas has recently experienced some of its most serious economic challenges, but "despite these obstacles, our economy is booming."
"This resiliency is a testament to the diversity of our economy and the strength of our workforce. As governor, I will continue to promote policies that allow businesses to thrive and keep Texas the best state in the nation to do business," he said in a statement.
U.S. unemployment rate edged down by 0.1 percentage point to 4.1 percent in October, and the number of unemployed decreased by 281,000 to 6.5 million, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
