Counties with the highest unemployment in Texas

Written by:
Stacker
May 3, 2024
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Counties with the highest unemployment in Texas

While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Texas using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 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.

Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.

The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.

Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Texas.

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#50. Swisher County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,569 people (120 unemployed)

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#49. Red River County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 4,896 people (228 unemployed)

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Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#48. Leon County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,574 people (307 unemployed)

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#47. Waller County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,749 people (1,253 unemployed)

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#46. Hall County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,094 people (52 unemployed)

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#45. Madison County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,830 people (234 unemployed)

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#44. Jones County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,014 people (290 unemployed)

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#43. Val Verde County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 2.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,016 people (1,055 unemployed)

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#42. Hardin County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,711 people (1,241 unemployed)

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#41. Dickens County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 590 people (29 unemployed)

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#40. Floyd County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,467 people (120 unemployed)

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#39. Wilbarger County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,032 people (247 unemployed)

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#38. Freestone County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,757 people (328 unemployed)

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#37. Hutchinson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,672 people (421 unemployed)

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#36. Panola County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,791 people (477 unemployed)

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#35. San Jacinto County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,986 people (639 unemployed)

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#34. Matagorda County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,749 people (861 unemployed)

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#33. Trinity County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,368 people (269 unemployed)

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#32. Cass County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,196 people (605 unemployed)

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#31. Chambers County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,967 people (1,091 unemployed)

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#30. San Patricio County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,246 people (1,505 unemployed)

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#29. Real County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,109 people (57 unemployed)

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#28. San Augustine County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,463 people (176 unemployed)

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#27. Bee County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,477 people (479 unemployed)

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#26. Bailey County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,330 people (120 unemployed)

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#25. Eastland County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,440 people (337 unemployed)

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#24. Hale County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 11,461 people (601 unemployed)

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#23. Harrison County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,403 people (1,465 unemployed)

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#22. Jim Wells County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,252 people (867 unemployed)

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#21. Orange County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,952 people (1,902 unemployed)

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#20. Cameron County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 184,096 people (9,902 unemployed)

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#19. Jim Hogg County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,901 people (107 unemployed)

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#18. Polk County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 19,415 people (1,065 unemployed)

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#17. Liberty County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 36,818 people (2,012 unemployed)

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#16. Presidio County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,056 people (173 unemployed)

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#15. Sutton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 1,022 people (59 unemployed)

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#14. Tyler County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,082 people (424 unemployed)

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#13. Morris County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,541 people (275 unemployed)

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#12. Jefferson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 104,476 people (6,230 unemployed)

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#11. Hidalgo County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 382,219 people (22,937 unemployed)

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#10. Brooks County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,308 people (142 unemployed)

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#9. Sabine County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,425 people (212 unemployed)

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#8. Kenedy County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 134 people (9 unemployed)

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#7. Jasper County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,350 people (788 unemployed)

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#6. Zapata County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,579 people (317 unemployed)

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#5. Newton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,061 people (354 unemployed)

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#4. Willacy County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,158 people (519 unemployed)

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#3. Zavala County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,591 people (268 unemployed)

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#2. Maverick County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,630 people (2,184 unemployed)

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#1. Starr County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,415 people (2,383 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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