unemployment

House Democrats Successfully Kill Welfare Drug Testing Bill

Ryan Poppe — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:03:22 +0000

House Democrats were able to stall a vote on a bill that would have mandated welfare recipients be drug screened before receiving benefits, an action that ultimately killed the bill entirely.

The bill would have required anyone applying for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits to be screened for illicit drug use and it immediately struck a chord with House Democrats like Rep. Sylvester Turner of Houston.

President Obama Touches Down In Texas

David Martin Davies — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:24:08 +0000

Texas Matters: President Obama visited Austin on Thursday to promote his jobs and middle class growth strategy. Also on this show: Latino unemployment in Texas, the Boquillas border crossing opens in Big Bend and the last night to pass bills out of the Texas House.

Latinos May Need More Than 'Miracle' To Prosper In Texas

editor — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:08:50 +0000

Story as it aired on KUT 90.5 FM

President Obama brought a message of economic recovery when he visited Austin yesterday, the first stop in his “Middle Class Jobs and Opportunity Tour.” Latinos in the U.S., however, are trailing behind the national average in unemployment. So how are they’re doing when it comes to finding work in the home of the “Texas miracle?"

Senate Ends Week Passing Unemployment Drug Testing Bill

Ryan Poppe — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:04:09 +0000

Similar to the bill mandating welfare recipients be screened for drugs, this bill mandates that Texans receiving unemployment benefits also be drug-tested.

Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, authored the bill that would force all unemployment applicants to go through a drug-screening process with a counselor from the Texas Workforce Commission.

San Antonio And Texas Lead Nation In Construction Job Growth

Eileen Pace — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:56:30 +0000

The Associated General Contractors of America reports that Texas leads the nation in the increase of construction jobs.

It's a sign of an economic comeback for the state, and one local construction executive believes San Antonio’s commercial building industry is outpacing the rest of the state.

Scooter Store Employees Looking For Answers About Unemployment Benefits

Eileen Pace — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:24:37 +0000

Scooter Store employees have plenty of questions about their furloughs late last week.

Scooter Store CEO Marty Landon reportedly sent out a blanket email at the end of the day last Friday that told all employees not to come back to work unless they received further instructions.

Employees were left dazed and confused, entering their spring break not knowing where their next paycheck would come from.

Unemployment Slightly Up In Texas, But Still Lower Than A Year Ago

Eileen Pace — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:57:16 +0000

Unemployment figures released Friday had bad news and good news for Texas.

The good news is that over the past year, unemployment in the state has declined almost a full percentage point and remains below the national rate of 7.9 percent for January.

The bad news is that unemployment rose slightly in Texas for the month of January to 6.3 percent; prior to January, the jobless rate had been declining for six months.

Employers Seeking Veterans At Valentine's Day Job Fair

Eileen Pace — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:12:22 +0000

Get your roses and resumés ready, a special hiring event for veterans takes place on Valentine’s Day, this Thursday, at the Alamodome. The event is being organized by RecruitMilitary and USAA.

Texas Workforce Commission Helping Veterans Find Job Opportunities

Joey Palacios — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 15:24:29 +0000

Hundreds of veterans filled the Freeman Coliseum’s Expo Hall this week looking for work. The Texas Workforce Commission held a job fair specially tailored to those converting military experience into civilian jobs.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterans who have served since 9/11 are experiencing an unemployment rate of 10 percent, slightly higher than the civilian rate.

The Texas Workforce Commission is actively trying to get these veterans back into work.

Texas Economy Shows Steady Growth - Unemployment Down

Eileen Pace — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:37:20 +0000

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Texas fell to 6.8 percent in September, down more than one point from last year.

Andres Alcantar, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission, said the Texas economy has been showing steady job growth for the past two years and seven major industries expanded in September.

"The highest growth came from the Professional and Business Services industry, which grew by 13,600 jobs in September. This industry has added 47,200 jobs over the past year," Alcantar said.