Despite the current challenges — from geopolitical tension to tariffs — the Texas labor market is holding relatively steady (even with a modest recent monthly decline in June) and even improving in many areas. Texas added 232,500 jobs over the past 12 months, representing a 1.6% growth rate that was significantly above the national rate (0.6%). In addition, a wide range of industries are adding jobs, always a positive signal.

At the same time, the number of job openings across the state has fallen slightly. Lest this feels like a concern, let me hasten to add that excessive job openings are an indicator that the labor force is too small to meet the needs of businesses. As a result, economic expansion is curtailed.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) regularly tracks both job openin

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