March 2026 | Released May 06, 2026

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In March, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 14, rose in 10, and remained unchanged in 27.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.3 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.3 percent.

• In March, payroll jobs rose in 35 states and fell in 15. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Tennessee. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.2 percent in Hawaii, Montana, and Oregon.

Texas

Employment snapshot

• In March, Texas added 46,800 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3 percent. In the prior month, Texas lost 6,400 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Texas added 117,200 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage points from 4.1 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 178,000 in March, or 0.1 percent. Texas is tied for 3rd in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In March, Texas’s private sector added 46,100 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 116,800 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Texas lost 6,700 net private payroll jobs.

• In March, employment in Texas fell by 20,144, and over the past 12 months it rose by 48,011.

• Texas’s labor force participation rate fell to 64.4 percent in March from 64.6 percent and is tied for 13th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.5 percentage points.

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Texas

Payroll employment

• Texas added 46,800 net payroll jobs, or 0.3 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during March. In the prior month, Texas lost 6,400 jobs. Texas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 8 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 178,000 in March, or 0.1 percent. Texas is tied for 3rd in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Texas added 46,100 private sector jobs, or 0.4 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during March. In the prior month, Texas lost 6,700 jobs. Texas private sector payroll employment has increased in 8 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 186,000 jobs in March, or 0.1 percent. Texas ranks 3rd in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From February 2026 to March 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (+14,900) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+13,500).
• The worst performing sectors were Federal Government (-1,400) and Other Services (-1,300).

From March 2025 to March 2026:

• The best performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (+49,300) and Private Education and Health Services (+33,800).
• The worst performing sectors were Federal Government (-17,000) and Manufacturing (-8,500).

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 fell to 64.4 percent in March from 64.6 percent in the prior month.

• Texas is tied for 13th 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 fell by 0.1 percentage points to 61.9 percent in March.