Midland job market on the rise

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) - In May 2020, Midland saw an all-time high of 12.3 percent unemployment. The Executive Director of Midland Development Corporation said that was a scary time for the community.

“We saw the civilian labor force shrink which is a really concerning metric because it means people have left the job market and maybe left the community,” said Sara Harris, the Executive Director of Midland Development Corporation.

Fast forward to today and Midland has made a great recovery. In the last year, Midland has added over 6,500 jobs. October’s unemployment was back down to 4.7 percent.

“The civilian labor force in Midland is back over 100,000 so we’re not quite to the heights we saw pre-pandemic but it’s still definitely a healthy recovery and very encouraging metric,” Harris said.

While many people are going back to work, there still are some challenges preventing people from returning to the office.

“Childcare has been one of the biggest issues and a lot of those individuals are on the low end of the salary structure, not on the higher end,” said Willie Taylor, the CEO for Permian Basin Workforce Board.

Taylor said there are options for those wanting to return to work.

“In the Permian Basin we have a $30 million budget and over 70% of that money is childcare. We actually pay for subsidized childcare for those individuals returning back to work,” Taylor said.

You can find more information here or call 432-367-3332.

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