LMI Press Release
September unemployment rate for Southeast Texas decreases to 5.3 percent
BEAUMONT, Texas – The Southeast Texas unadjusted unemployment rate for September 2026 decreased to 5.3 percent, down 0.6 percent from August’s rate of 5.9 percent, based on data released by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The total civilian labor force is 186,323, a decrease of 178 from August. September’s total number of employed increased from 175,549 to 176,383, an increase of 834 from August, while the total number of unemployed decreased by 1,012 from 10,952 in August to 9,940 in September.
Area |
Sep 2026 |
Aug 2026 |
Sep 2025 |
| Texas | 4.3% | 4.6% | 4.4% |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | 5.3% | 5.9% | 5.6% |
| Southeast Texas | 5.3% | 5.9% | 5.6% |
| Hardin County | 4.5% | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| Jefferson County | 5.7% | 6.3% | 6.0% |
| Orange County | 4.9% | 5.3% | 5.0% |
| Newton County | 6.2% | 6.8% | 6.5% |
| Beaumont | 5.2% | 5.6% | 5.4% |
| Port Arthur | 7.8% | 9.0% | 8.6% |
Current Unemployment Statistics (CES) provided by TWC report industry sector job gains and losses. All gains and losses are shown in the table below.
3–200
Industry Sector |
Monthly Increases |
Monthly Decreases |
|
Mining, Logging and Construction |
-200 | |
| Private Education and Health Services | -300 | |
| Professional and Business Services | -100 | |
| Manufacturing | 100 | |
| Government | 600 | |
| Leisure and Hospitality | -300 |
Source: Current Employment Statistics (CES)/Texas Workforce Commission
September 2026 unemployment rates for the Southeast Texas counties are as follows**:
Source: Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)/Texas Workforce Commission
-
- Jefferson: 5.7 percent (decrease of 0.6 from August; decrease of 0.3 from September 2025)
- Orange: 4.9 percent (decrease of 0.4 from August; decrease of 0.1 from September 2025)
- Hardin: 5 percent (decrease of 0.3 from August; decrease of 0.2 from September 2025)
Data for October 2026 will be released on Friday, November 20th.
Employment estimates released by TWC are produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. All estimates are subject to revision. To access this and more employment data, visit texaslmi.com.
For an in-depth analysis of the 2024–2034 Occupational Projections for the Southeast Texas WDA, check out the September episode of Southeast Texas Works! Stream it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or visit setworks.org/podcasts to listen as Texas Workforce Commission Economist William Lutz breaks down the numbers.