May Labor Market Highlights
Governor Greg Abbott announced the state again surpassed all previous records for total jobs, the number of Texans working, and the size of the Texas labor force based on May employment data. With a gain of 213,300 nonfarm jobs over the last 12 months, Texas continues to outpace the national growth rate.
May employment data released by the Texas Workforce Commission shows:
- Texas reached a new high with the largest labor force ever in the state’s history at 15,839,400.
- Texas reached a new high for Texans working, including self-employed, at 15,192,300.
- Texas reached a new high for total nonfarm jobs at 14,340,800 after adding 28,100 jobs in May.
- Texas added 213,300 nonfarm jobs from May 2024 to May 2025, growing at a faster annual rate than the nation as a whole.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Texas remained steady at 4.1 percent. The Trade, Transportation, and Utilities industry had the largest over-the-month increase in May after adding 8,400 jobs. Leisure and Hospitality added 8,200 jobs over the month while Private Education and Health Services added 4,300. In addition, the Construction industry grew by 3.4 percent over the year in Texas and outperformed the industry’s growth rate nationally by 1.9 percentage points.
The Governor’s full press release can be found here. The TWC press release can be found here.
Comptroller Distributes $1.2 Billion in Monthly Sales Tax Revenue
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts $1.2 billion in local sales tax allocations for June, 6.1 percent more than in June 2024.
These allocations are based on sales made in April by businesses that report tax monthly.
| Recipient | June 2025 Allocations | Change from June 2024 | Year-to-Date Change |
| Cities | $734.4M | ↑5.7% | ↑4.3% |
| Transit Systems | $242.6M | ↑4.9% | ↑3.4% |
| Counties | $72.9M | ↑6.0% | ↑5.2% |
| Special Purpose Districts | $121.4M | ↑11.8% | ↑9.8% |
| Total | $1.2B | ↑6.1% | ↑4.7% |
For details on June sales tax allocations to individual cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts, visit the Comptroller’s Monthly Sales Tax Allocation Comparison Summary Reports.
Texas Leads Nation in Job Creation Over Past Year
Governor Greg Abbott announced Texas as the No. 1 state in the nation for job creation with more jobs created last month and over the last 12 months than any other state. Texas has now added more than 2.53 million jobs under Governor Abbott’s leadership.
May employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows Texas gained the most nonfarm jobs over the month of May at 28,100 and from May 2024 to May 2025 at 213,300 as Texas continues to outpace the national growth rate.
The full press release can be found here.
