The Dallas office of the Federal Reserve predicts the Texas economy will grow by 6.5% in 2021 after a drop in employment in 2020.
The Texas Workforce Commission says the state lost 430,000 jobs in 2020, more than the 370,000 jobs lost in 2009.
The Dallas Fed says employment in the state grew in January, adding 38,100 jobs. Unemployment dropped in all nine of the state's biggest metropolitan areas.
In Dallas, Plano and Irving, unemployment dropped from 6.3% to 6.2%. Unemployment in Fort Worth and Arlington dropped from 6.5% to 6.4%.
In 2021, the Dallas Fed predicts the state will add 797,800 jobs to a total of 13.1 million.
The Dallas Fed says three factors will contribute to job growth in Texas this year: a "sharp drop" in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, an increase in forecasts for the U.S. economy, and an increase in oil prices.