The Texas economy, which has been adding jobs each month for almost a year, stumbled a bit last month, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday.

Texas lost 1,300 jobs in August on a seasonally adjusted basis, the first time since September 2010 that the state reported a monthly dip in jobs.

Three key sectors - government, trade-transportation-utilities and mining-logging - shed the most jobs in Texas during August, according to the commission. That, in turn, caused the year-over-year growth rate to dip to 2.4 percent in August from 2.6 percent in July.

The Texas numbers may draw national attention as Gov. Rick Perry seeks the Republican presidential nomination, touting job growth in the state.

But Cheryl Abbot, regional economist for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in Dallas, cautioned against making too much of the statewide job loss.

"It's not a lot in the big scheme of things," she said. Nor does one month make a trend.

Statewide the unemployment rate - which is adjusted for typical seasonal influences such as holidays and school schedules - climbed to 8.5 percent in August from 8.4 percent in July.

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"Texas continues to feel the pressures of a stagnant national economy," commission Chairman Tom Pauken said in a statement. He noted that private sector gains were offset by government job losses in August.

The Houston area unemployment rate dipped to 8.6 percent in August, the Workforce Commission reported. The local jobless rate, which is not adjusted for seasonal variations, was 8.9 percent in July.

The Houston area added 3,200 jobs during August, including gains in construction, financial activities and health care, according to the commission. Those increases offset losses in leisure-hospitality and government.

Trucker jobs flat

Like the rest of Texas, the Houston area also reported job losses in the trade-transportation-utilities sector.

Transportation logistics is typically a vibrant industry for Houston, as companies manage business inventory and move products to and from the Port of Houston, said Gerry Burns, client relationship director for Manpower in Houston. But over the past two to three weeks demand for truckers has flattened out, he said.

"It kind of baffles me," said Burns, who meets with clients regularly to talk about their personnel needs.

He speculates that the dip could stem from reduced worldwide demand for products, international currency fluctuations or even a drop in consumer confidence that is hurting U.S. demand.

Employers are being more cautious, he said, adding that Houston might be in for a slower fourth quarter.

On the bright side, there is a surge in demand for welders and machinists who use computer technology to make parts for the energy industry, Burns said. Information technology also is starting to make a comeback after being depressed for a couple of years.

Over the past 12 months the Houston area added 65,600 jobs, the Workforce Commission said. That represents a year-over-year gain of 2.6 percent.

Houston area normal

"We're pretty much back to normal," said Patrick Jankowski, vice president of research for the Greater Houston Partnership. He calculates that Houston has regained 91 percent of the 121,200 jobs it lost during the most recent recession, on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Houston was the last of the big metropolitan areas to enter the recession and the first to rebound, he said at a lunchtime presentation about the Houston economy on Friday. And the Houston area didn't suffer nearly as badly as other regions.

The key drivers of the local economy, especially energy and health care, are doing well, said Jankowski.

lm.sixel@chron.com