September 2025 | Released December 11, 2025

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In September, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 10, rose in 21, and remained unchanged in 20.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 4.4 percent.

• In September, payroll jobs rose in 30 states and fell in 20. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.6 percent in Missouri. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Alaska, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Texas

Employment snapshot

• In September, Texas added 4,600 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1 percent. In the prior month, Texas added 9,100 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Texas added 168,000 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point from 4.2 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 119,000 in September, or 0.1 percent. Texas is tied for 12th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In September, Texas’s private sector lost 1,300 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 130,700 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Texas added 5,200 net private payroll jobs.

• In September, employment in Texas rose by 9,341, and over the past 12 months it rose by 165,146.

• Texas’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 64.7 percent in September and is tied for 13th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.4 percentage points.

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Texas

Payroll employment

• Texas added 4,600 net payroll jobs, or 0 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during September. In the prior month, Texas added 9,100 jobs. Texas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 119,000 in September, or 0.1 percent. Texas is tied for 12th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Texas lost 1,300 private sector jobs, or 0 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during September. In the prior month, Texas added 5,200 jobs. Texas private sector payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 97,000 jobs in September, or 0.1 percent. Texas is tied for 15th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From August 2025 to September 2025:

• The best performing sectors were State and Local Government (+5,400) and Construction (+4,300).
• The worst performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (-6,400) and Private Education and Health Services (-1,100).

From September 2024 to September 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+42,400) and Private Education and Health Services (+39,900).
• The worst performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (-11,300) and Manufacturing (-7,900).

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 64.7 percent in September.

• Texas is tied for 13th 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 rose by 0.1 percentage points to 62.4 percent in September.