Austin jobless rate falls again, hits COVID-19 pandemic-era low of 3.5%

Austin News Briefs - Austin American Statesman

The unemployment rate in the Austin area fell to a new pandemic-era low of 3.5 percent in September, as local businesses clamored to hire workers amid the recovering economy and the lead-up to high-profile events such as the Formula One race this weekend and ACL Fest earlier in October. The region added 12,900 nonfarm jobs last month — with more than a quarter of the hiring coming from restaurants, hotels and other businesses in the local leisure and hospitality sector, which was hit hard by the coronavirus-induced economic downturn and has been among the slowest industries to rebound.