May 2025 | Released June 24, 2025

Download the full PDF for Texas

Download the summary PDF for Texas

United States Employment Snapshot

• In May, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 13, rose in 14, and remained unchanged in 24.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 1.8 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in May.

• In May, payroll jobs rose in 37 states and fell in 11. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Montana. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.4 percent in Connecticut.

Texas Employment Snapshot

• In May, Texas added 28,100 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1 percent. In the prior month, Texas added 30,300 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Texas added 213,300 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 139,000 in May, or 0.1 percent. Texas is tied for 7th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In May, Texas’s private sector added 25,300 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 177,900 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Texas added 26,600 net private payroll jobs.

• In May, employment in Texas rose by 20,764, and over the past 12 months it rose by 256,159.

• Texas’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 64.9 percent in May and ranks 17th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has remained unchanged.

---

Texas Payroll Employment

• Texas added 28,100 net payroll jobs, or 0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during May. In the prior month, Texas added 30,300 jobs. Texas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 139,000 in May, or 0.1 percent. Texas is tied for 7th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Texas added 25,300 private sector jobs, or 0.2 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during May. In the prior month, Texas added 26,600 jobs. Texas private sector payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 140,000 jobs in May, 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.

• The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during May were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (8,400) and Leisure and Hospitality (8,200).

• The poorest performing sectors during the month were Information (-1,400) and Professional and Business Services (-1,400).

• The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (41,100) and Education and Health Services (40,800).

• The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Manufacturing (4,400) and Information (-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 64.9 percent in May.

• Texas ranks 17th 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 0.2 percentage points to 62.4 percent in May.