Local Area Unemployment Statistics, State and Area Employment, JOLTS · Texas
How is the job market in Texas?
The unemployment rate in Texas was 4.4% in the month ended , against 4.2% for the United States.
Texas, unemployment, each month
- Unemployment rate4.4%3.4% to 12.8%
- Participation rate64.2%60.3% to 64.9%
- Employment-population ratio61.4%52.6% to 62.3%
Texas, people, each month
- Labor force, thousands15,948.413,300.7 to 15,962.1
- Employed, thousands15,246.411,597.6 to 15,276.5
- Unemployed, thousands702.0477.5 to 1,703.2
Texas, jobs and pay, each month
- Nonfarm payrolls, thousands14,461.311,512.4 to 14,472.4
- Average hourly earnings$36.76$24.58 to $36.76
- Average weekly hours35.534.6 to 36.8
Texas, openings and turnover rates, each month
- Job openings rate4.1%2.4% to 7.6%
- Hires rate3.5%2.7% to 6.3%
- Quits rate2.2%1.6% to 3.5%
- Layoffs and discharges rate1.0%0.6% to 6.7%
- Total separations rate3.3%3.0% to 9.1%
Each row is one measure of Texas over the last ten years, one month to a point, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
Texas, openings and turnover, each month
- Job openings, thousands608289 to 1,096
- Hires, thousands503314 to 739
- Quits, thousands318186 to 472
- Layoffs and discharges, thousands13780 to 862
- Total separations, thousands480426 to 1,179
Each row is one measure of Texas over the last ten years, one month to a point, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
Right now
The unemployment rate in Texas was 4.4% in September 2026, ranking 14th highest of 51 among the states and the District of Columbia.
Over a year it is up 0.1 percentage points (ours). The rate for the United States was 4.2% in the same month. The source marks this value preliminary.
The unemployment rate in September 2026 was the lowest since May 2026.
Jobs and payOurs: change and rank
Nonfarm payroll employment was 14,461.3 thousand in September 2026, up 1.1% over a year (ours), 2nd highest of 51.
Average hourly earnings of all employees on private payrolls was $36.76 in September 2026, up 5.8% over a year (ours), 18th highest of 51.
Job openings and turnoverOurs: change and rank
The job openings rate was 4.1% in December 2025, up 0.3 percentage points over a year (ours), 16th highest of 51.
The hires rate was 3.5% in December 2025, up 0.2 percentage points over a year (ours), 20th highest of 51.
The quits rate was 2.2% in December 2025, down 0.1 percentage points over a year (ours), 18th highest of 51.
Understanding the labor market of Texas
Where it stands today
The unemployment rate in Texas was 4.4% in September 2026.
What do the figures for Texas measure?
This page gathers the labor market figures of Texas that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes: how many people are in the labor force, at work and unemployed, how many payroll jobs there are and what they pay, and how many jobs are open and how many people were hired, quit or lost a job.
Read more
The unemployment figures come from Local Area Unemployment Statistics, a model that BLS runs for each state every month. The payroll jobs, hours and earnings come from a monthly survey of employers, and the job openings and labor turnover from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).
What 500metrics adds: each figure's rank among the fifty states and the District of Columbia, its change over a year, the last time it was higher and lower, the nation's figure beside a rate where BLS gives one, and the last ten years of every figure as small charts.
The numbers behind the chart
What are the latest figures for Texas?19 measures, each in its own newest month
| Measure | Section | Month | Value | Change over a year | Rank | United States | Last higher | Last lower |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | Unemployment | 4.4% | +0.1 pts | 14 of 51 | 4.2% | |||
| Participation rate | Unemployment | 64.2% | −0.7 pts | 14 of 51 | 61.8% | |||
| Employment-population ratio | Unemployment | 61.4% | −0.7 pts | 14 of 51 | 59.2% | |||
| Labor force | People | 15,948.4 thousand | 0.0% | 2 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Employed | People | 15,246.4 thousand | −0.1% | 2 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Unemployed | People | 702.0 thousand | +3.0% | 2 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Nonfarm payrolls | Jobs and pay | 14,461.3 thousand | +1.1% | 2 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Average hourly earnings | Jobs and pay | $36.76 | +5.8% | 18 of 51 | n/a | none since 2007 | ||
| Average weekly hours | Jobs and pay | 35.5 hours | −1.9% | 3 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Job openings rate | Openings and turnover rates | 4.1% | +0.3 pts | 16 of 51 | 4.0% | |||
| Hires rate | Openings and turnover rates | 3.5% | +0.2 pts | 20 of 51 | 3.3% | |||
| Quits rate | Openings and turnover rates | 2.2% | −0.1 pts | 18 of 51 | 2.0% | |||
| Layoffs and discharges rate | Openings and turnover rates | 1.0% | 0.0 pts | 19 of 51 | 1.1% | |||
| Total separations rate | Openings and turnover rates | 3.3% | −0.2 pts | 23 of 51 | 3.3% | |||
| Job openings | Openings and turnover | 608 thousand | +7.2% | 2 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Hires | Openings and turnover | 503 thousand | +7.7% | 2 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Quits | Openings and turnover | 318 thousand | −1.5% | 1 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Layoffs and discharges | Openings and turnover | 137 thousand | +0.7% | 2 of 51 | n/a | |||
| Total separations | Openings and turnover | 480 thousand | −2.4% | 2 of 51 | n/a |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
What is the unemployment rate in each county of Texas?254 counties, September 2026, by name
| County | Rate | A year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | 4.3% | 4.3% | 0.0 pts |
| Andrews County | 3.4% | 3.4% | 0.0 pts |
| Angelina County | 4.7% | 4.7% | 0.0 pts |
| Aransas County | 5.0% | 5.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Archer County | 3.8% | 3.7% | +0.1 pts |
| Armstrong County | 3.4% | 3.9% | −0.5 pts |
| Atascosa County | 4.6% | 4.6% | 0.0 pts |
| Austin County | 4.1% | 4.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Bailey County | 4.1% | 4.1% | 0.0 pts |
| Bandera County | 4.4% | 4.3% | +0.1 pts |
| Bastrop County | 3.7% | 3.9% | −0.2 pts |
| Baylor County | 3.3% | 3.2% | +0.1 pts |
| Bee County | 4.7% | 5.0% | −0.3 pts |
| Bell County | 4.9% | 5.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Bexar County | 4.3% | 4.3% | 0.0 pts |
| Blanco County | 3.9% | 3.7% | +0.2 pts |
| Borden County | 5.4% | 3.4% | +2.0 pts |
| Bosque County | 4.3% | 4.3% | 0.0 pts |
| Bowie County | 4.4% | 4.4% | 0.0 pts |
| Brazoria County | 4.8% | 5.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Brazos County | 3.5% | 3.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Brewster County | 2.9% | 3.3% | −0.4 pts |
| Briscoe County | 3.3% | 3.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Brooks County | 4.3% | 4.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Brown County | 4.1% | 4.1% | 0.0 pts |
Show 229 more rows
| County | Rate | A year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burleson County | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.0 pts |
| Burnet County | 3.9% | 3.9% | 0.0 pts |
| Caldwell County | 3.9% | 3.9% | 0.0 pts |
| Calhoun County | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Callahan County | 3.4% | 3.6% | −0.2 pts |
| Cameron County | 5.9% | 7.5% | −1.6 pts |
| Camp County | 4.7% | 4.7% | 0.0 pts |
| Carson County | 3.1% | 3.1% | 0.0 pts |
| Cass County | 5.1% | 5.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Castro County | 3.0% | 2.9% | +0.1 pts |
| Chambers County | 4.9% | 5.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Cherokee County | 4.4% | 4.5% | −0.1 pts |
| Childress County | 2.6% | 2.5% | +0.1 pts |
| Clay County | 3.8% | 3.9% | −0.1 pts |
| Cochran County | 3.8% | 4.3% | −0.5 pts |
| Coke County | 3.0% | 3.5% | −0.5 pts |
| Coleman County | 4.3% | 3.6% | +0.7 pts |
| Collin County | 4.1% | 4.1% | 0.0 pts |
| Collingsworth County | 3.4% | 3.1% | +0.3 pts |
| Colorado County | 3.9% | 4.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Comal County | 4.0% | 3.9% | +0.1 pts |
| Comanche County | 3.6% | 3.3% | +0.3 pts |
| Concho County | 3.7% | 3.3% | +0.4 pts |
| Cooke County | 3.4% | 3.6% | −0.2 pts |
| Coryell County | 5.1% | 5.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Cottle County | 2.1% | 2.4% | −0.3 pts |
| Crane County | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.0 pts |
| Crockett County | 3.0% | 3.5% | −0.5 pts |
| Crosby County | 4.0% | 4.2% | −0.2 pts |
| Culberson County | 4.2% | 3.6% | +0.6 pts |
| Dallam County | 2.8% | 3.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Dallas County | 4.2% | 4.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Dawson County | 4.3% | 4.4% | −0.1 pts |
| DeWitt County | 5.0% | 5.1% | −0.1 pts |
| Deaf Smith County | 3.5% | 3.6% | −0.1 pts |
| Delta County | 4.7% | 4.2% | +0.5 pts |
| Denton County | 3.9% | 4.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Dickens County | 3.2% | 3.5% | −0.3 pts |
| Dimmit County | 6.8% | 7.7% | −0.9 pts |
| Donley County | 4.4% | 4.4% | 0.0 pts |
| Duval County | 4.7% | 4.6% | +0.1 pts |
| Eastland County | 5.7% | 5.7% | 0.0 pts |
| Ector County | 3.7% | 4.1% | −0.4 pts |
| Edwards County | 3.2% | 3.0% | +0.2 pts |
| El Paso County | 4.3% | 4.8% | −0.5 pts |
| Ellis County | 4.1% | 4.1% | 0.0 pts |
| Erath County | 3.5% | 3.9% | −0.4 pts |
| Falls County | 4.4% | 4.3% | +0.1 pts |
| Fannin County | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Fayette County | 4.1% | 3.9% | +0.2 pts |
| Fisher County | 3.2% | 3.3% | −0.1 pts |
| Floyd County | 3.5% | 4.2% | −0.7 pts |
| Foard County | 3.7% | 2.8% | +0.9 pts |
| Fort Bend County | 4.5% | 4.6% | −0.1 pts |
| Franklin County | 3.9% | 3.7% | +0.2 pts |
| Freestone County | 4.6% | 5.0% | −0.4 pts |
| Frio County | 5.2% | 6.0% | −0.8 pts |
| Gaines County | 3.2% | 3.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Galveston County | 4.6% | 4.7% | −0.1 pts |
| Garza County | 5.0% | 4.9% | +0.1 pts |
| Gillespie County | 3.4% | 3.3% | +0.1 pts |
| Glasscock County | 2.3% | 2.9% | −0.6 pts |
| Goliad County | 5.2% | 5.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Gonzales County | 4.0% | 3.8% | +0.2 pts |
| Gray County | 3.8% | 4.2% | −0.4 pts |
| Grayson County | 4.2% | 4.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Gregg County | 4.7% | 4.8% | −0.1 pts |
| Grimes County | 4.6% | 4.7% | −0.1 pts |
| Guadalupe County | 4.1% | 4.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Hale County | 4.1% | 4.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Hall County | 4.4% | 4.6% | −0.2 pts |
| Hamilton County | 4.6% | 4.5% | +0.1 pts |
| Hansford County | 3.7% | 3.6% | +0.1 pts |
| Hardeman County | 3.4% | 3.5% | −0.1 pts |
| Hardin County | 4.5% | 4.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Harris County | 4.6% | 4.9% | −0.3 pts |
| Harrison County | 4.6% | 4.9% | −0.3 pts |
| Hartley County | 3.3% | 3.2% | +0.1 pts |
| Haskell County | 4.0% | 4.2% | −0.2 pts |
| Hays County | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.0 pts |
| Hemphill County | 4.5% | 4.9% | −0.4 pts |
| Henderson County | 4.6% | 4.7% | −0.1 pts |
| Hidalgo County | 5.6% | 6.4% | −0.8 pts |
| Hill County | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Hockley County | 3.9% | 4.1% | −0.2 pts |
| Hood County | 4.5% | 4.5% | 0.0 pts |
| Hopkins County | 3.6% | 3.5% | +0.1 pts |
| Houston County | 4.3% | 4.8% | −0.5 pts |
| Howard County | 4.2% | 4.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Hudspeth County | 4.1% | 4.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Hunt County | 4.4% | 4.4% | 0.0 pts |
| Hutchinson County | 4.2% | 4.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Irion County | 3.9% | 3.6% | +0.3 pts |
| Jack County | 5.0% | 5.5% | −0.5 pts |
| Jackson County | 4.4% | 4.6% | −0.2 pts |
| Jasper County | 6.0% | 6.4% | −0.4 pts |
| Jeff Davis County | 5.4% | 4.8% | +0.6 pts |
| Jefferson County | 5.7% | 6.0% | −0.3 pts |
| Jim Hogg County | 4.2% | 5.2% | −1.0 pts |
| Jim Wells County | 5.3% | 5.1% | +0.2 pts |
| Johnson County | 3.8% | 3.9% | −0.1 pts |
| Jones County | 3.5% | 3.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Karnes County | 4.3% | 4.2% | +0.1 pts |
| Kaufman County | 4.4% | 4.4% | 0.0 pts |
| Kendall County | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.0 pts |
| Kenedy County | 6.9% | 9.3% | −2.4 pts |
| Kent County | 3.9% | 4.6% | −0.7 pts |
| Kerr County | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.0 pts |
| Kimble County | 4.4% | 4.1% | +0.3 pts |
| King County | 3.0% | 2.1% | +0.9 pts |
| Kinney County | 3.5% | 4.2% | −0.7 pts |
| Kleberg County | 4.5% | 4.8% | −0.3 pts |
| Knox County | 3.3% | 3.9% | −0.6 pts |
| La Salle County | 4.1% | 4.6% | −0.5 pts |
| Lamar County | 4.8% | 4.3% | +0.5 pts |
| Lamb County | 3.5% | 3.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Lampasas County | 4.5% | 4.3% | +0.2 pts |
| Lavaca County | 3.6% | 3.5% | +0.1 pts |
| Lee County | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.0 pts |
| Leon County | 3.9% | 4.1% | −0.2 pts |
| Liberty County | 5.5% | 5.8% | −0.3 pts |
| Limestone County | 4.3% | 4.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Lipscomb County | 3.2% | 3.3% | −0.1 pts |
| Live Oak County | 5.3% | 5.2% | +0.1 pts |
| Llano County | 4.3% | 4.3% | 0.0 pts |
| Loving County | 0.3% | 0.4% | −0.1 pts |
| Lubbock County | 3.7% | 3.6% | +0.1 pts |
| Lynn County | 3.4% | 3.5% | −0.1 pts |
| Madison County | 4.7% | 4.6% | +0.1 pts |
| Marion County | 6.0% | 6.2% | −0.2 pts |
| Martin County | 3.1% | 3.7% | −0.6 pts |
| Mason County | 3.8% | 3.8% | 0.0 pts |
| Matagorda County | 5.6% | 6.0% | −0.4 pts |
| Maverick County | 6.2% | 8.7% | −2.5 pts |
| McCulloch County | 5.0% | 4.6% | +0.4 pts |
| McLennan County | 4.0% | 4.2% | −0.2 pts |
| McMullen County | 6.3% | 4.4% | +1.9 pts |
| Medina County | 4.4% | 4.3% | +0.1 pts |
| Menard County | 4.0% | 3.7% | +0.3 pts |
| Midland County | 3.2% | 3.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Milam County | 4.3% | 4.5% | −0.2 pts |
| Mills County | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.0 pts |
| Mitchell County | 3.1% | 3.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Montague County | 4.4% | 4.4% | 0.0 pts |
| Montgomery County | 4.3% | 4.4% | −0.1 pts |
| Moore County | 3.1% | 3.1% | 0.0 pts |
| Morris County | 5.6% | 5.6% | 0.0 pts |
| Motley County | 4.9% | 5.2% | −0.3 pts |
| Nacogdoches County | 4.7% | 4.8% | −0.1 pts |
| Navarro County | 4.8% | 4.9% | −0.1 pts |
| Newton County | 6.2% | 6.5% | −0.3 pts |
| Nolan County | 4.1% | 3.9% | +0.2 pts |
| Nueces County | 4.4% | 4.5% | −0.1 pts |
| Ochiltree County | 3.2% | 3.3% | −0.1 pts |
| Oldham County | 3.5% | 3.2% | +0.3 pts |
| Orange County | 4.9% | 5.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Palo Pinto County | 4.3% | 4.2% | +0.1 pts |
| Panola County | 4.9% | 5.1% | −0.2 pts |
| Parker County | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.0 pts |
| Parmer County | 2.9% | 2.8% | +0.1 pts |
| Pecos County | 4.6% | 4.4% | +0.2 pts |
| Polk County | 4.8% | 5.2% | −0.4 pts |
| Potter County | 4.0% | 3.6% | +0.4 pts |
| Presidio County | 5.7% | 7.6% | −1.9 pts |
| Rains County | 4.6% | 4.3% | +0.3 pts |
| Randall County | 3.2% | 3.0% | +0.2 pts |
| Reagan County | 4.3% | 4.1% | +0.2 pts |
| Real County | 4.6% | 4.8% | −0.2 pts |
| Red River County | 4.9% | 4.7% | +0.2 pts |
| Reeves County | 3.7% | 4.0% | −0.3 pts |
| Refugio County | 5.2% | 5.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Roberts County | 4.7% | 4.9% | −0.2 pts |
| Robertson County | 4.1% | 4.5% | −0.4 pts |
| Rockwall County | 3.8% | 4.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Runnels County | 3.5% | 3.8% | −0.3 pts |
| Rusk County | 4.5% | 4.6% | −0.1 pts |
| Sabine County | 6.9% | 6.5% | +0.4 pts |
| San Augustine County | 4.8% | 6.0% | −1.2 pts |
| San Jacinto County | 5.3% | 5.3% | 0.0 pts |
| San Patricio County | 5.0% | 5.4% | −0.4 pts |
| San Saba County | 4.3% | 3.9% | +0.4 pts |
| Schleicher County | 4.8% | 4.8% | 0.0 pts |
| Scurry County | 3.8% | 3.9% | −0.1 pts |
| Shackelford County | 3.6% | 4.0% | −0.4 pts |
| Shelby County | 5.1% | 5.4% | −0.3 pts |
| Sherman County | 2.9% | 3.3% | −0.4 pts |
| Smith County | 4.0% | 4.1% | −0.1 pts |
| Somervell County | 4.5% | 4.5% | 0.0 pts |
| Starr County | 8.3% | 9.8% | −1.5 pts |
| Stephens County | 4.6% | 4.4% | +0.2 pts |
| Sterling County | 3.3% | 4.1% | −0.8 pts |
| Stonewall County | 2.4% | 2.3% | +0.1 pts |
| Sutton County | 6.1% | 5.7% | +0.4 pts |
| Swisher County | 3.9% | 4.3% | −0.4 pts |
| Tarrant County | 4.1% | 4.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Taylor County | 3.5% | 3.6% | −0.1 pts |
| Terrell County | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.0 pts |
| Terry County | 4.0% | 4.6% | −0.6 pts |
| Throckmorton County | 4.5% | 4.7% | −0.2 pts |
| Titus County | 4.1% | 4.2% | −0.1 pts |
| Tom Green County | 3.5% | 3.4% | +0.1 pts |
| Travis County | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.0 pts |
| Trinity County | 5.4% | 5.6% | −0.2 pts |
| Tyler County | 5.8% | 6.2% | −0.4 pts |
| Upshur County | 4.7% | 4.6% | +0.1 pts |
| Upton County | 2.0% | 1.5% | +0.5 pts |
| Uvalde County | 4.6% | 4.5% | +0.1 pts |
| Val Verde County | 4.8% | 5.2% | −0.4 pts |
| Van Zandt County | 4.3% | 4.3% | 0.0 pts |
| Victoria County | 4.3% | 4.4% | −0.1 pts |
| Walker County | 4.4% | 4.5% | −0.1 pts |
| Waller County | 5.1% | 5.6% | −0.5 pts |
| Ward County | 3.7% | 3.5% | +0.2 pts |
| Washington County | 3.9% | 4.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Webb County | 4.1% | 4.7% | −0.6 pts |
| Wharton County | 4.8% | 4.8% | 0.0 pts |
| Wheeler County | 3.5% | 3.2% | +0.3 pts |
| Wichita County | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Wilbarger County | 3.8% | 4.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Willacy County | 6.0% | 5.4% | +0.6 pts |
| Williamson County | 3.7% | 3.8% | −0.1 pts |
| Wilson County | 4.0% | 4.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Winkler County | 3.3% | 3.3% | 0.0 pts |
| Wise County | 3.8% | 3.8% | 0.0 pts |
| Wood County | 5.1% | 5.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Yoakum County | 3.8% | 4.2% | −0.4 pts |
| Young County | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.0 pts |
| Zapata County | 6.1% | 6.4% | −0.3 pts |
| Zavala County | 5.9% | 6.8% | −0.9 pts |
What do these figures leave out, and how are they cited?Limits, dates and how to cite
What this number cannot tell you
- The unemployment figures of a state are estimates from a model, not a count. BLS revises the latest months as more data arrive and revises the past years every March.
- The payroll figures are estimates from a survey of employers. BLS revises them twice after the first release and once a year, when it benchmarks them to the count of jobs covered by unemployment insurance. Average hourly earnings and average weekly hours are for all employees on private payrolls and are not seasonally adjusted.
- The state figures of job openings and labor turnover come from a survey whose estimates for a single state have a larger sampling error than the nation's. Each figure shows its own newest month, which can be older than the month of the unemployment rate.
- A rank is among the fifty states and the District of Columbia in the same month, highest value first, and a large state ranks high on a count of people or jobs. The changes, the ranks and the months a figure was last higher and lower are ours, worked out from the values BLS publishes.
- The county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so each county's rate is set beside its own rate a year before.
Observed . Checked .
How to cite this
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Current Population Survey; State and Area Employment, Hours, and Earnings; Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey), labor market of Texas, through September 2026. Compiled by 500metrics, "How is the job market in Texas?", https://500metrics.com/states/texas.
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