The unemployment rate for Dallas-Fort Worth held relatively steady in July, Dallas ISD seeks volunteers for 2020 bond subcommittees, and we find out what county in Texas is shrinking the fastest, all in this week’s roundup of real estate news.

Dallas-Fort Worth Unemployment Rate Holds Relatively Steady in July

The unemployment rate in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA rose only slightly from 3.3 in June to 3.4 in July, the Texas Workforce Commission reported last week. However, 3.4 is still an improvement year-over-year, when the rate was 3.7 in July 2018.

Statewide, the rate held at 3.4 percent, which is a record-low rate. The state added 35,200 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs last month, and 323,300 jobs total to date for 2019.

“It is remarkable and a testament to the strength of our industries that Texas continues to maintain a historic low unemployment rate of 3.4 percent,” said TWC chair and commissioner representing employers Ruth R. Hughs. “Our economy remains strong as a result of the continuing growth of our Texas employers and our thriving industries.”

Total nonfarm annual job growth was 2.6 percent, and has remained more than two percent since February 2018. Construction saw the biggest leap in seasonally adjusted growth from year to year, growing 6.6 percent.

Source: Texas Workforce Commission

Dallas ISD Seeks Volunteers for Bond Election Subcommittees

Dallas ISD is considering a 2020 bond election to bolster the facility and technology needs of the district, and it needs volunteers to provide recommendations to that bond election steering committee, the district said last week.

Prior to breaking for the summer, the Dallas ISD board of trustees approved the charter that establishes a Citizens Bond Steering Committee. That committee is structured to have several subcommittees to concentrate on specific needs, and then report findings and make recommendations to the steering committee.

Volunteers are needed for the finance, facilities, technology, academics (fine arts/STEM), transformation and innovation, safety and security, and athletics subcommittees. All subcommittee work will be completed by January 2020, and from that point on until the end of the school year, the time will be spent sharing the findings with communities throughout the district and solicit input.

The subcommittees will meet about five to six times maximum. The steering committee will make a final report to the board in August 2020.

Those interested in volunteering can sign up here. A maximum of 10 volunteers will be chosen for each subcommittee.

Source: Dallas ISD

Which Texas County Is Shrinking the Fastest?

There are nearly 18.5 million more people living in the U.S. than there were nine years ago — an increase of 6 percent. But despite that, there are areas where the population is declining, figures from the U.S. Census Bureau reveal.

In a piece in USA Today, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed Census figures from April 2010 through July 2018, and found the fastest shrinking county in each state.

In Texas, that would be Dawson County, which is south of Lubbock and north of Odessa, and northwest of Abilene. According to census figures, the county’s population declined by almost 9 percent between 2010 and 2018, compared to the 14.1 percent increase for the state of Texas. In that eight-year timespan, 1,642 citizens moved out of the county, and the 2018 unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, compared to the state’s 3.9 percent.

Source: USA Today