Counties with the highest unemployment in Texas
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Counties with the highest unemployment in Texas
Unemployment rates have continued to rise across U.S. metropolitan areas, stoking concern throughout the nation and guiding the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut interest rates.
As of September, unemployment rates had increased from the previous year in 260 out of 389 U.S. metros areas—including 37 of the 51 largest metros, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. In October, these statistics were both lower than in previous months, indicating that the rate cuts may already be helping stabilize unemployment.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Texas, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in September 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
In October, the health care and government sectors saw employment trend upward, while labor strikes contributed to a decline in manufacturing employment. However, the national unemployment rate still remains relatively low at 4.1% in October, unchanged from the previous month. It remains higher than it has otherwise been since November 2021.
By comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.
The Federal Reserve has shifted its focus from curbing inflation to unemployment, cutting interest rates to alleviate economic strain and spur job growth. Since last year, unemployment has spiked in half of states—a signal often indicating a looming recession, as Piper Sandler Chief Global Economist Nancy Lazar told Business Insider. In September, South Carolina and Utah saw the biggest unemployment rate increases.
These jobless rates, paired with layoffs among major U.S. employers like Google and Tesla, have sparked concern among Americans. Minus a major economic blow, economists continue to forecast that the U.S. is tracking toward an incremental slowdown in growth known as a “soft landing.” The Fed plans to continue cutting rates to achieve this.
To get a better idea of your community’s current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Texas.
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#50. Coryell County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 25,661 people (1,195 unemployed)
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#49. Hardin County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 26,091 people (1,229 unemployed)
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
#48. Gregg County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 59,394 people (2,809 unemployed)
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#47. Real County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,141 people (55 unemployed)
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
#46. Jim Hogg County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,957 people (94 unemployed)
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#45. Madison County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,842 people (233 unemployed)
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#44. Duval County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,167 people (246 unemployed)
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#43. Aransas County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,775 people (471 unemployed)
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#42. Panola County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,978 people (483 unemployed)
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#41. Hale County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,384 people (546 unemployed)
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#40. Bell County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 155,576 people (7,415 unemployed)
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
#39. San Augustine County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,471 people (169 unemployed)
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#38. Marion County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,565 people (222 unemployed)
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
#37. Camp County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,252 people (255 unemployed)
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#36. Eastland County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,333 people (309 unemployed)
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#35. Freestone County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 6,916 people (340 unemployed)
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
#34. Cass County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,238 people (601 unemployed)
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#33. San Jacinto County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,169 people (643 unemployed)
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#32. San Patricio County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 30,476 people (1,499 unemployed)
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#31. Trinity County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,473 people (276 unemployed)
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#30. Jim Wells County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 16,371 people (812 unemployed)
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#29. Chambers County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 22,363 people (1,129 unemployed)
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#28. Waller County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 27,239 people (1,382 unemployed)
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#27. Bee County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 9,557 people (494 unemployed)
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#26. Polk County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 19,968 people (1,049 unemployed)
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#25. Val Verde County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,302 people (1,129 unemployed)
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#24. Harrison County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 28,605 people (1,511 unemployed)
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#23. Cameron County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 187,858 people (9,863 unemployed)
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#22. Hall County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,086 people (60 unemployed)
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#21. Matagorda County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 17,629 people (952 unemployed)
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#20. Orange County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 36,623 people (1,974 unemployed)
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#19. Brooks County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,280 people (133 unemployed)
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#18. Liberty County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 37,466 people (2,092 unemployed)
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#17. Tyler County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,111 people (418 unemployed)
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#16. Frio County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
— 1-month change: Up 1.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 2.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,420 people (555 unemployed)
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#15. Hidalgo County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 388,774 people (22,824 unemployed)
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#14. Sutton County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,051 people (63 unemployed)
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#13. Presidio County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,031 people (182 unemployed)
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#12. Morris County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 4,702 people (283 unemployed)
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#11. Dickens County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 621 people (39 unemployed)
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#10. Zapata County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,690 people (298 unemployed)
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#9. Jefferson County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 106,713 people (6,852 unemployed)
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
#8. Jasper County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,553 people (816 unemployed)
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#7. Sabine County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 3,453 people (227 unemployed)
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#6. Maverick County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,392 people (1,646 unemployed)
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#5. Kenedy County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 129 people (10 unemployed)
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#4. Newton County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 5,122 people (355 unemployed)
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#3. Willacy County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,034 people (483 unemployed)
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#2. Zavala County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,578 people (307 unemployed)
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#1. Starr County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,313 people (2,216 unemployed)
This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
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