Date: 01/22/2010

The San Antonio area recorded a net loss of 500 jobs for the month of December, 2009, according to a report released Friday by Workforce Solutions Alamo.

This brought net job loss for the year to 9,000, representing a 1.1 percent decline from 2008.

The unemployment rate for the Alamo region remained steady at 6.8 percent in December. Texas reported an unemployment rate of 8.3 percent, while the nation checked in at the 10 percent mark for December.

“The Alamo region continued to remain steady as the state and the nation saw job losses and increases in unemployment in December,” says Chakib Chehadi, Workforce Solutions Alamo’s executive director. “The diversity of the Alamo region’s economy yields job growth in some industries when others are struggling, and vice-versa. Financial activities, hospitality and local government all ended the year with positive annual job growth.”

The financial activities sector in the San Antonio area gained 100 jobs in 2009, representing an annual growth rate of 0.2 percent. The education and health services sector lost 600 jobs over the period, a 0.5 percent decline. Leisure and hospitality, on balance, added 1,200 jobs in the Alamo City region for an annual growth rate of 1.2 percent. The Other Services sector recorded a net gain of 400 jobs over the course of 2009 for an annual growth rate of 1.3 percent. The Government sector also ended 2009 with a net emploment gain, 3,700 jobs — representing a 2.4 percent increase, the most of any industry sector.

Workforce Solutions Alamo provides employment services on behalf of more than 2 million residents and 40,000 businesses.