Unemployment rate for Freestone county held steady in July and remains the lowest in the area.

Texas Workforce Commission released July unemployment statistics last week.

Freestone county remains at 6.9 percent. Figures show that out of a total workforce of 10,347, there are 715 workers without jobs.

The Texas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 8.2 percent in July, unchanged from June, and continues to trend well below the national rate of 9.5 percent.

“Private sector employers in Texas continued adding jobs in July, a trend we’ve seen since the first of the year,” Texas Workforce Commission chairman Tom Pauken says. “Significant government job losses offset much of the gain in the private sector in July.”

Total nonagricultural employment grew by 4,600 jobs in July for a total of 168,900 gained since January in Texas.

The professional and business services industry recorded its largest month ly job gain in more than a decade with 12,600 positions added in July. Employment in the financial activities sector was up by 3,700 jobs.

Mining and logging employment grew by 4,600 jobs in July and has added jobs for six consecutive months. The construction and manufacturing industries each added 4,300 jobs in July.

Highest unemployment rate in the area, 9.8 percent, is posted for Anderson county and remains steady from June. Out of a labor force of 21,441 in Anderson, there are 2,104 jobless workers.

Next to Freestone county, the second lowest unemployment rate in the area is 7.5 percent in Leon county, down from 7.7 percent in June.

Leon county has 652 unemployed workers out of a workforce of 8,739.

Limestone county posts a 7.2 percent July unemployment rate, down from 7.3 percent in June. From a labor force of 11,777, there are 844 jobless workers.

July unemployment in Navarro county is 9.5 percent, down from 9.7 percent in June. Out of 21,942 workers, 2,091 are jobless.