August 2026

Released September 18, 2026

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In August, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 28, rose in 4, and remained unchanged in 19.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in August.

• In August, payroll jobs rose in 35 states and fell in 16. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.6 percent in New Mexico. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Maryland.

Texas

Employment snapshot

• In August, Texas added 5,600 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.4 percent. In the prior month, Texas lost 2,700 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Texas added 159,400 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage points from 4.2 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 162,000 in August, or 0.1 percent. Texas is tied for 8th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In August, Texas’s private sector lost 300 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 157,200 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Texas lost 4,200 net private payroll jobs.

• In August, employment in Texas rose by 17,943, and over the past 12 months it fell by 22,545.

• Texas’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 64.2 percent in August and ranks 14th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.6 percentage points.

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Texas

Payroll employment

• Texas added 5,600 net payroll jobs, or 0 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during August. In the prior month, Texas lost 2,700 jobs. Texas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 8 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 162,000 in August, or 0.1 percent. Texas is tied for 8th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Texas lost 300 private sector jobs, or 0 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during August. In the prior month, Texas lost 4,200 jobs. Texas private sector payroll employment has increased in 7 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 127,000 jobs in August, or 0.1 percent. Texas ranks 11th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From July 2026 to August 2026:

• The best performing sectors were State and Local Government (+5,200) and Leisure and Hospitality (+4,900).
• The worst performing sectors were Other Services (-7,700) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-2,800).

From August 2025 to August 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (+65,100) and Leisure and Hospitality (+33,700).
• The worst performing sectors were Information (-11,900) and Federal Government (-9,500).

Texas

Labor force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in Texas remained unchanged at 64.2 percent in August.

• Texas ranks 14th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Texas was 64.9 percent occurring in June 2024, and the 10-year low was 60.3 percent in April 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate rose by 0.2 percentage points to 61.6 percent in August.