December 2025 | Released January 27, 2026
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United States
Employment snapshot
In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 8, rose in 21, and remained unchanged in 22.
The highest unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.2 percent in Hawaii and South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.4 percent.
In December, payroll jobs rose in 23 states and fell in 27. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Delaware and Montana. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Kansas and Nebraska.
Texas
Employment snapshot
In December, Texas added 19,700 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 4.3 percent. In the prior month, Texas added 7,600 net payroll jobs.
Over the past 12 months, Texas added 132,500 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point from 4.2 percent.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Texas is tied for 15th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
In December, Texas’s private sector added 17,400 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 115,900 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Texas added 9,000 net private payroll jobs.
In December, employment in Texas rose by 18,719, and over the past 12 months it rose by 210,360.
Texas’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 64.7 percent in December and ranks 13th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.1 percentage points.
Texas
Payroll employment
Texas added 19,700 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Texas added 7,600 jobs. Texas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Texas is tied for 15th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
Texas added 17,400 private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Texas added 9,000 jobs. Texas private sector payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 37,000 jobs in December, or 0 percent. Texas is tied for 15th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
From November 2025 to December 2025:
- The best performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+9,500) and Leisure and Hospitality (+3,700).
- The worst performing sectors were Construction (-4,500) and Information (-300).
From December 2024 to December 2025:
- The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+44,200) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+37,800).
- The worst performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (-14,800) and Federal Government (-11,900).
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 December.
Texas ranks 13th in the nation.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Texas was 65.1 percent occurring in August 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 62.4 percent in December.