AUSTIN, Texas – Texas outpaced the national nonfarm jobs growth rate for 2025 by almost a whole percentage point, according to new numbers released Friday.
Texas also added over 40,000 nonfarm jobs in January to reach a total of almost 14,380,000 positions across the state.
Texas jobs numbers for January 2026
By the numbers:
Texas’ civilian labor force registered at 15,955,200 after decreasing by about 3,400 in January.
Over 2025, Texas’ civilian labor force added 152,000 people, for an annual rate of 0.8 percent, outpacing the national growth rate by 0.6 percent.
Industries with highest/lowest growth 
Four industries saw the largest private sector over-the-month increase in January:
Construction — 11,800 jobs addedLeisure and Hospitality — 10,300 jobs addedPrivate Education and Health Services — 10,300 jobs addedProfessional and Business Services — 10,200 jobs added
Five industries saw job losses in January:
Mining and Logging — lost 400 jobsManufacturing — lost 2,100 jobsInformation — lost 500 jobsFinancial Activities — lost 3,600 jobsGovernment — lost 1,000 jobs Unemployment 
A graphic showing job growth in Texas and the U.S. in 2025 and in January 2026. (Texas Workforce Commission)
The January seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for Texas remained stable at 4.3 percent, but up 0.2 percent from January 2025. In January, the U.S. reported an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent.
The non-seasonally adjusted rate for Texas sits at 4.5 percent, up 0.3 percent from January 2025.
(Texas Workforce Commission)
The three metro areas with the lowest non-seasonally adjusted rates for January 2026 are:
Amarillo — 3.3 percent, up 0.1 percent from January 2025Midland — 3.4 percent, up 0.3 percent from January 2025San Angelo — 3.5 percent, up 0.1 percent from January 2025
The three with the highest rates for January 2025 are:
Brownsville-Harlingen — 7.2 percent, up 1.7 percent from January 2025McAllen-Edinburg-Mission — 6.9 percent, up 0.6 percent from January 2025Beaumont-Port Arthur — 6 percent, up 0.5 percent from January 2025
What’s next:
Texas jobs numbers for February are expected to be released on Friday, April 17 at 9 a.m.
U.S. jobs numbers for March 2026
Big picture view:
The most recent numbers for U.S. jobs growth were also released Friday, showing an increase in nonfarm positions for March 2026.
The U.S. added 178,000 nonfarm jobs in March, following a loss of 133,000 jobs in February.
The unemployment rate dropped 0.1 percent from February to sit back at 4.3 percent.
Industries with highest/lowest growth
Industries across the US that saw the highest growth in March are:
Private Education and Health Services — added 91,000 jobsLeisure and Hospitality — added 44,000 jobsConstruction — added 26,000 jobsTransportation and Warehousing — added 21,000 jobs
Industries that saw job losses in March are:
Financial Activities — lost 15,000 jobsOther Services — lost 9,000 jobsGovernment — lost 8,000 jobs
For more on the US jobs numbers, click here.
What’s next:
U.S. jobs numbers for April are expected to be released on Friday, May 8 at 9:30 a.m.
The Source: Information comes from the Texas Workforce Commission and the US Dept of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics