The area, which includes Fort Hood and Killeen, saw 1,100 new jobs during the 12-month period. The increase was 0.9 percent. Odessa saw the same number of new workers.
The Austin-Round Rock area had the largest numerical increase, at 4,200, followed by Baton Rouge, La., with 1,300.
The Temple area’s unemployment rate was well below the state average of 6.9 percent in May, but that rate was higher than in May a year ago.
However, jobless rates were higher in May year over year in all 372 metropolitan areas in the nation, the BLS reported.
Manpower Inc., which surveys employers in metro areas each quarter, had predicted good job growth for the second quarter in the Temple region.
