July 2025 | Released August 19, 2025

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In July, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 6, rose in 15, and remained unchanged in 30.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 1.9 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 4.2 percent.

• In July, payroll jobs rose in 31 states and fell in 20. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.6 percent in Missouri. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.5 percent in Wyoming.

Texas

Employment snapshot

• In July, Texas added 8,700 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4 percent. In the prior month, Texas lost 6,000 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Texas added 232,500 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point from 4.1 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 73,000 in July, or 0 percent. Texas is tied for 7th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In July, Texas’s private sector added 11,400 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 198,900 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Texas lost 5,100 net private payroll jobs.

• In July, employment in Texas rose by 3,071, and over the past 12 months it rose by 210,132.

• Texas’s labor force participation rate fell to 64.7 percent in July from 64.8 percent and is tied for 15th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.3 percentage points.

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Texas

Payroll employment

• Texas added 8,700 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during July. In the prior month, Texas lost 6,000 jobs. Texas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 73,000 in July, or 0 percent. Texas is tied for 7th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Texas added 11,400 private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during July. In the prior month, Texas lost 5,100 jobs. Texas private sector payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 83,000 jobs in July, or 0.1 percent. Texas is tied for 6th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From June 2025 to July 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+5,500) and Professional and Business Services (+3,800).
• The worst performing sectors were Manufacturing (-3,600) and State and Local Government (-1,900).

From July 2024 to July 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+47,900) and Private Education and Health Services (+46,300).
• The worst performing sectors were Manufacturing (-2,200) and Information (+1,000).

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 fell to 64.7 percent in July from 64.8 percent in the prior month.

• Texas is tied for 15th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Texas was 65.1 percent occurring in September 2024, and the 10-year low was 60.3 percent in April 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 62.2 percent in July.