Counties with the highest unemployment in Texas

The first jobs report under the new Trump administration showed a stable job market, with the unemployment rate ticking down from 4.1% to 4% in January, the lowest since last May, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released Feb. 7.

The report marks 49 consecutive months of overall job growth, the second-longest recorded period since 1939.

Job losses that did occur were concentrated in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries, which declined by 8,000 jobs over the month. There was little change in employment in other major industries.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates Texas, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 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.

Key takeaways: Jobs report reveals cooling labor market

January's job growth of 143,000 fell short of expectations, while the downward revision of 589,000 fewer jobs in 2024 suggests the labor market was weaker last year than initially thought.

Business leaders are starting to display more caution, with 67% of executives reporting higher stress levels heading into 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 executives by Sentry, a business insurance company. Among survey respondents, 47% citing economic uncertainty as their biggest concern.

"We have what I would describe as a robust but frozen labor market," Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told The New York Times, noting that while unemployment remains low, there's very little churn or employee turnover as "businesses are being cautious as to how they manage their work force."

Moody's Analytics projects monthly payroll gains could slow to around 100,000 by year-end.

The big story: Potential for economic headwinds grows

Behind the "Now Hiring" signs and modest unemployment rate, there's growing concern on Main Street that the economy might be more fragile than it appears.

"You've already got companies hiring as if they're in a recession—even if they're not laying people off," Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNN. Average unemployment duration, a lagging indicator, rose from 20.8 weeks in January 2024 to 22 in January of this year.

Tightening trade regulations and federal trimming could also have an impact on the job market. Experts predict the U.S. gross domestic product could take a hit due to increased tariffs. The U.S. government is the country's largest employer and contributes 36% to the GDP.

Sudden cuts to federal spending advocated by the new administration could hit the economy hard. One example of the potential fallout is that if prices were to increase further due to higher tariffs, consumer purchasing power would decline, stymieing economic growth.

Whether the effects of slashing the workforce and the budget will be exceeded by Trump's plans to loosen business regulations and cut taxes remains to be seen.

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Texas.

49. Cherokee County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,938 people (869 unemployed)

49. Leon County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,749 people (285 unemployed)

44. Camp County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,202 people (225 unemployed)

44. Coryell County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,483 people (1,087 unemployed)

44. Gregg County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 59,278 people (2,550 unemployed)

44. Hale County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,235 people (481 unemployed)

44. Bell County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 154,433 people (6,633 unemployed)

39. Hardin County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,251 people (1,154 unemployed)

39. San Augustine County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,483 people (153 unemployed)

39. Cass County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,042 people (531 unemployed)

39. San Jacinto County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,140 people (581 unemployed)

39. Kinney County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,269 people (56 unemployed)

38. Eastland County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,335 people (286 unemployed)

31. Trinity County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,360 people (247 unemployed)

31. Marion County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,538 people (207 unemployed)

31. Madison County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,862 people (222 unemployed)

31. San Patricio County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,511 people (1,398 unemployed)

31. Hall County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,069 people (49 unemployed)

31. Freestone County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,779 people (312 unemployed)

31. Jim Wells County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,357 people (752 unemployed)

29. Waller County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,263 people (1,285 unemployed)

29. Garza County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: -1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,005 people (94 unemployed)

28. Polk County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,815 people (957 unemployed)

26. Jim Hogg County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,955 people (95 unemployed)

26. Brooks County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,255 people (111 unemployed)

24. Orange County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 36,801 people (1,840 unemployed)

24. Bee County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,435 people (474 unemployed)

20. Harrison County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,394 people (1,449 unemployed)

20. Presidio County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,054 people (157 unemployed)

20. Cameron County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 188,565 people (9,533 unemployed)

20. Chambers County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,520 people (1,139 unemployed)

19. Matagorda County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,503 people (910 unemployed)

17. Liberty County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 37,553 people (1,992 unemployed)

17. Frio County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +2.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,312 people (490 unemployed)

16. Morris County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,679 people (253 unemployed)

15. Tyler County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,938 people (386 unemployed)

14. Sutton County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: -1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,023 people (58 unemployed)

12. Dickens County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 536 people (32 unemployed)

12. Jefferson County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 107,224 people (6,470 unemployed)

11. Hidalgo County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 390,887 people (24,333 unemployed)

9. Jasper County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,572 people (787 unemployed)

9. Val Verde County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: +1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,528 people (1,355 unemployed)

7. Sabine County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,418 people (220 unemployed)

7. Willacy County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,050 people (452 unemployed)

6. Newton County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,145 people (339 unemployed)

5. Zapata County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,724 people (335 unemployed)

4. Maverick County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,882 people (1,844 unemployed)

3. Zavala County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,644 people (277 unemployed)

2. Kenedy County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.1%
--- 1-month change: +1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 124 people (10 unemployed)

1. Starr County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,124 people (2,529 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.