Oct. 18--The Fort Worth-Arlington area added 3,200 jobs in September for a 0.4 percent gain from August, although unemployment edged up slightly to 5.1 percent from 5 percent, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

Across the state, however, Texas lost 4,000 nonfarm jobs in September, the first monthly drop in more than a year. The jobless rate statewide also rose to 5.1 percent from 5 percent.

Still, Texas and the local area are far better off than most parts of the country, with the national unemployment rate at 6.1 percent, officials said.

James Quick, a University of Texas at Arlington management professor, predicted probable double-digit unemployment nationally before the economic meltdown is resolved. But Texas is in relatively good shape, he said.

"We are in a significantly better position than we were in the great Texas banking crash of the 1980s," Quick said, recalling that one bank president had to turn in his bank's 113 year-old charter during the scandal that rocked Texas finance. "It was ugly in this state -- very ugly.

"We've diversified our economy," Quick said, adding that the subprime-mortgage situation sparked the crisis that has spun around the globe and panicked investors in recent weeks. "And a number of the banks, they're simply not as exposed or in the mortgage business."

Local results

The Fort Worth-Arlington area -- which includes Tarrant, Parker, Johnson and Wise counties -- has seen an increase of 15,100 jobs in the past year, a gain of 1.7 percent.

The biggest growth for September came in gov- ernment, with 4,500 new jobs, a 4 percent increase, and in professional and business services and education and health services. The leisure and hospitality industries lost the most, 1,600 jobs, a decrease of 1.7 percent in the past month.

The local area reported 45,820 unemployed residents in September.

Statewide results

Texas' job growth was 247,900 over the last year, or 2.4 percent.

Statewide, mining and construction added 2,200 jobs, despite local losses of 200 positions.

Texas' September seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 5.1 percent, up from 5 percent in August and 4.3 percent in August, 2008.

"Although up slightly, the Texas unemployment rate remains a full percentage point below the unemployment rate for the nation as a whole," Workforce Commissioner Andres Alcantar said in a statement.

"Nine of 11 industries displayed positive annual job growth, resulting in nearly a quarter of a million jobs added in the last year."

LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYERS: Figures reflect March 2008 unemployment.

Albertsons

American Airlines

Harris Methodist Fort Worth

JPMorgan Chase Bank

Kroger Texas L.P.

Lockheed Martin

Texas Christian University

Textron

United Parcel Service

Wal-Mart

Source: Texas Workforce Commission

JOHN AUSTIN, 817-390-7874

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