McALLEN – More people are working in McAllen than ever before helping the city boast one of the higher job growth rates in the country and besting the nation's unemployment average seven years in row.

 
McAllen recorded a 5.0 percent unemployment rate for November, according to the latest statistics released by the Texas Workforce Commission. Five percent is the lowest jobless rate among cities in the Rio Grande Valley and the lowest rate in 6½ years for the City. Its 59,604 people employed in town are the most ever since the commission has kept those figures for cities beginning 2005.

 The City grew some 1,703 jobs from November 2013 to November 2014 – the most by any city in the Valley, and McAllen’s unemployment dropped from 6.5 percent to its level over the same period. What’s more, the City’s unemployment rate has bested the annual U.S. national average for seven years running, according to the Workforce Commission.

 
The 3 percent employment growth rate, year over year, would stand to be among the faster job producing cities in the country. In the last year, several major job-creating projects have been launched in McAllen, trade has increased and the health, education and government sectors have continued to grow. McAllen Mayor Jim Darling said the City will continue to invest in job-growth strategies and education to have a ready workforce that can produce.

 "Most people in Texas and around the country simply don't know that McAllen's job market is better than the national one and has been for the last seven years," said Darling. "We have a diversified economy that relies on international trade, advanced manufacturing, the health industry and retail trade, and we're growing fast. McAllen will also continue to work with cities in the region and Mexico to raise all our boats and stay above of the national averages."

 Workforce Commission reports show that in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission MSA (Hidalgo County), trade, transportation & utilities, healthcare and government sectors as creating the most jobs year over year. The McAllen MSA recorded its second lowest unemployment rate since 2008 at 8.2 percent and has added about 8,400 jobs since November 2013.

 
November unemployment rates for some RGV cities and MSAs: McAllen 5.0%, Edinburg 5.5%, Harlingen 5.7%, Mission 6.5%, Weslaco 7.0%, Pharr 7.2%, Brownsville 8.2%, Brownsville MSA 7.7%, and McAllen MSA 8.2%.