December 2024

Released January 28, 2025

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United States Employment Snapshot

• In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 7, rose in 25, and remained unchanged in 19.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in Nevada, and the lowest was 1.9 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.1 percent.

• In December, payroll jobs rose in 43 states and fell in 7. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Missouri. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.2 percent in Vermont.

Texas Employment Snapshot

• In December, Texas added 37,500 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.2 percent. In the prior month, Texas added 3,600 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Texas added 284,200 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points from 3.9 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, or 0.2 percent. Texas is tied for 8th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In December, Texas’s private sector added 35,500 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 247,400 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Texas added 900 net private payroll jobs.

• In December, employment in Texas rose by 37,655, and over the past 12 months it rose by 379,388.

• Texas’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 64.7 percent in December and ranks 18th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.5 percentage points.

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Texas Payroll Employment

• Texas added 37,500 net payroll jobs, or 0.3 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Texas added 3,600 jobs. Texas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, or 0.2 percent. Texas is tied for 8th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Texas added 35,500 private sector jobs, or 0.3 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Texas added 900 jobs. Texas private sector payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 223,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Texas is tied for 8th 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 December were Professional and Business Services (17,800) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (10,400).

• The poorest performing sectors during the month were Manufacturing (-700) and Other Services (-1,000).

• The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Education and Health Services (50,700) and Professional and Business Services (43,200).

• The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Other Services (3,600) and Mining and Logging (-3,100).

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 18th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Texas was 64.7 percent occurring in December 2024, and the 10-year low was 60.3 percent in April 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 62.5 percent in December.