15 counties with the highest unemployment in Texas

While significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, unemployment rates remain a subject of concern, though experts' views on a potential recession are mixed.

STACKER — While significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, unemployment rates remain a subject of concern, though experts' views on a potential recession are mixed. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2007-2009—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.

As of May 2023, national unemployment is at 3.4%, with little change from April. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.9% in South Dakota to 5.4% in Nevada.

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 May 2023, 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.

#15. Morris County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,423 people (273 unemployed)

#14. Val Verde County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 2.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,141 people (1,364 unemployed)

#13. Hidalgo County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 378,011 people (23,287 unemployed)

#12. Tyler County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,077 people (445 unemployed)

#11. Sutton County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 959 people (62 unemployed)

#10. Jasper County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,723 people (819 unemployed)

#9. Sabine County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,924 people (265 unemployed)

#8. Jefferson County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 103,448 people (6,957 unemployed)

#7. Presidio County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,058 people (210 unemployed)

#6. Zavala County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,522 people (258 unemployed)

#5. Kenedy County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 132 people (10 unemployed)

#4. Newton County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,003 people (374 unemployed)

#3. Willacy County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,404 people (603 unemployed)

#2. Maverick County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,460 people (1,988 unemployed)

#1. Starr County

- May unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,148 people (2,235 unemployed)