Texas gained 1,200 jobs in April 2015 compared to its average monthly increase of 34,000 last year. Texas lost jobs in construction and manufacturing.
In March 2015,Texas lost 25,200 jobs the most in nearly six years.

Oklahoma added 4,200 jobs in April after losing 12,300 jobs in March--the most in 6 years.

North Dakota, which benefited from an oil and gas drilling boom,has lost jobs in mining and logging for three straight months. It's unemployment rate rose to 3.1% from 2.7%. It now has the second-lowest unemployment rate after Nebraska.

Large oil & gas drilling companies have announced thousands of job cuts this year.
Halliburton has laid off 9,000 workers,more than 10 percent of its workforce in six months ending in March,2015.
Schlumberger has announced 20,000 job cuts since the beginning of 2015.
Baker Hughes says it will eliminate 7,000 jobs or about 11 percent of its workforce.

Texas lost 8,300 oilfield-related jobs so far.



The economy generated just 85,000 jobs nationwide in March --and we have no way of knowing what kind of jobs these were and how much they pay.

A report on job growth (ha!) in the first quarter to be issued Friday is widely expected to show that the economy SHRANK from January to March.