Longview, TX — The Longview area added about 1,900 jobs in the past year with about 900 of those in the energy, mining, logging and manufacturing sectors, the Texas Workforce Commission announced Friday.

The three-county metro area had an unemployment rate in February of 6.1 percent, which was down from 7.1 percent from a year ago and down from January’s 6.5 percent unemployment rate, the state reported. The Longview Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Gregg, Rusk and Upshur counties.

“That’s great news again for us in the Longview region,” said Susan Gill, executive director of Longview Economic Development Corp. “many employers are hiring, and if they aren’t hiring, they are preparing to hire.”

The mining, logging and construction sector, which includes many of the region’s energy-related jobs, grew from 14,300 people on the job in February 2011 to 14,700 employed last month, the state reported. Manufacturing jobs grew by 500 positions, going from about 11,300 positions a year ago to 11,800 in February.

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