The Texas unemployment rate jumped to 8.2 percent in September, and the state lost another 44,700 jobs.
The Texas Workforce Commission said Friday the jobless rate increased from August, when the state hit 8 percent unemployment for the first time in 22 years.
The last stretch of 8 percent-plus unemployment lasted 22 months, starting in February 1986.
Commission chairman Tom Pauken says most Texas industries saw job losses in September.
The Texas rate is still running well under the national unemployment figure of 9.8 percent, a 26-year high.
Unemployment rates are adjusted for seasonal trends in hiring and firing, which most economists believe gives a better picture of the job market.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
