How to Compare Job Growth Rates Between Texas and North Carolina

Over the 12 months through July 2026, Texas added 165,600 jobs and North Carolina added 51,600 jobs, according to seasonally adjusted BLS data reported by RealPage Analytics Blog on 2026-08-25. Texas posted the largest annual gain of any state, and North Carolina ranked third. Together the two states added 217,200 jobs, and Texas accounted for about 76% of that combined gain.

Texas vs North Carolina job growth at a glance

The table below lists the reported annual job gain for each state over the same 12-month window and its national ranking.

Several figures follow directly from the two reported totals:

The Texas share is the most useful single comparison. Texas contributed roughly three of every four jobs added across the two states, while North Carolina contributed the remaining quarter. The 114,000-job gap shows that the difference is in absolute job counts, and it is larger than North Carolina’s entire 12-month gain.

These figures describe only the two states’ headline job totals for this period. They do not show whether the same pattern held in earlier years, and they do not break the gains down by metro area or industry.

How is job growth measured?

Job growth figures for Texas and North Carolina come from the seasonally adjusted monthly payroll employment series published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The reference period is the 12 months through July 2026. Seasonal adjustment removes predictable calendar patterns, such as summer hiring or holiday retail staffing, so that the reported change reflects the underlying trend rather than the time of year.

The payroll series reports counts of jobs, not growth rates. The source reports these counts for the 12-month period:

Two counts can be compared directly, but they do not show which state grew faster in percentage terms.

The derived figures below are arithmetic on the two counts, not separate measurements: the gap is 114,000 jobs, the ratio is about 3.2 to 1, and Texas accounts for about 76% of the combined two-state gain (165,600 of 217,200).

Recent months in the series are preliminary estimates. They are revised as more complete survey data arrives, and periodic benchmark revisions can adjust earlier figures further. A figure cited from one release may therefore differ from a later one, so the release date of any number should be noted alongside it.

Which state added more jobs in the past year?

Texas added more jobs than any other state over the 12 months through July 2026, with a seasonally adjusted gain of 165,600 jobs (BLS data, as reported by RealPage Analytics Blog on 2026-08-25). North Carolina ranked third nationally for the same period, adding 51,600 jobs.

To check the figures, subtract the smaller count from the larger: 165,600 minus 51,600 equals 114,000. For the ratio, divide the larger count by the smaller: 165,600 / 51,600 is about 3.2. Read the ratio as “Texas added roughly 3.2 jobs for every job North Carolina added” over this period.

Which state is growing faster in percentage terms?

The data sheet cannot answer this question. It gives absolute job gains of +165,600 for Texas and +51,600 for North Carolina over the 12 months through July 2026 (seasonally adjusted BLS data), but no employment totals. Without a starting employment level for each state, no percentage growth rate can be calculated for either one.

The formula

Growth rate = (change in jobs ÷ prior-year employment level) × 100

Both parts are required. A state with a large workforce can add more jobs than a smaller state and still grow more slowly in percentage terms.

When the faster-growing state flips

The two states’ absolute gains differ by a ratio of about 3.2 to 1 (165,600 ÷ 51,600). Let B_TX and B_NC be each state’s prior-year employment level. Texas grows faster in percentage terms when B_TX ÷ B_NC is below about 3.2. North Carolina grows faster when that ratio is above about 3.2. At a ratio near 3.2, the two rates are roughly equal.

So the ranking depends on base ratio alone. The sheet does not show which side of that threshold the two states fall on, so the question stays open until base employment figures are added.

Key industries driving hiring

The fact sheet confirms total payroll gains for both states but contains no sector-level breakdown. Those are the only verified hiring figures available here.

Which industries produced those gains cannot be stated from this source. Naming sectors such as energy, health care, or manufacturing for either state would be an assumption, not a verified finding.

Readers who need the sector split should work from the primary release rather than summaries:

• Open the state-level payroll tables for the same 12-month window and check the sector rows (for example, goods-producing versus service-providing, then the detailed industry lines).
• Confirm that the figures are seasonally adjusted, since the headline totals are. Mixing adjusted and unadjusted series changes the sector rankings.
• Compare the sector changes against the total change for each state. A sector change that is large in absolute terms may still be small relative to the state total.
• Treat any sector claim without a cited table as unverified.

Metro areas to watch

The fact sheet reports job growth only at the state level, so it cannot rank Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Charlotte, or Raleigh-Durham against each other. Each metro’s gain has to be pulled from the same BLS period used for the statewide totals: the 12 months through July 2026, seasonally adjusted.

The five metros fall into two groups by state:

• Texas: Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin. These are major Texas metros, but the available data does not show how much of the 165,600-job statewide gain each one contributed.
• North Carolina: Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham. The available data does not show how much of the 51,600-job statewide gain came from these two metros.

Pull each metro series, then check two things:

• Whether the metros sum to a large share of the statewide gain, which would show metro concentration.
• Whether one metro accounts for most of its state’s growth while the others add little.

Compare the results with the sheet’s derived figures, which can be used as benchmarks:

If the metro totals for a state come close to its statewide figure, growth is concentrated in those metros. If they fall well short, the remaining growth is spread across non-metro counties, and the statewide figure hides a more uneven pattern.

Does job growth mean a better place to live?

Job growth counts the paid positions a state adds. It does not show how those jobs affect housing costs, pay, or who moves in. Job totals alone do not show whether residents are better off.

Home prices and affordability

Large job gains increase demand for housing. To test whether that raised costs, compare home price trends in both states over the same 12 months, using one consistent price index for each. Then measure those trends against local income. Prices rising faster than incomes point to weaker affordability, meaning the share of household income needed to buy or rent a typical home. The available data does not include home price figures for either state, so this comparison cannot be completed here.

Wages relative to job creation

A high job count does not guarantee higher pay. If wages stay flat while employment rises, new workers may be competing for the same earnings. Compare average wage growth with the job totals for identical periods. Wage series and employment series are published separately, so align their dates before comparing. The available data does not include wage figures for either state.

Population migration after employment gains

Some people move for work, but migration also responds to housing costs, climate, and family ties. Compare net migration (people arriving minus people leaving) for the same period as the job gains. A state that adds many jobs but shows weak net migration may have seen the new positions go to existing residents or commuters, though other explanations are possible. No migration figures are included in the current data.

What the numbers can’t tell you

The headline job counts show where employment grew. A job count says nothing about the kind of work behind it, what it pays, or what living costs in each state.

Sampling margin of error is the first limit. State payroll estimates are built from samples, so each figure carries an uncertainty range. The sheet gives no error bands, so it cannot confirm whether the 114,000-job gap between the two states is larger than that uncertainty. Before treating a gap as meaningful, check the margin of error published with each state’s estimate in the same release.

Job quality is the second limit. A count treats a full-time hospital role and a part-time retail shift as equal units. The sheet does not split either total by full-time versus part-time status, industry, or wage level. If net additions skew toward part-time or lower-paid work, household income can lag behind a strong headline number.

Unmeasured factors make up the third limit. Job growth does not capture the variables that shape daily life, and the sheet contains no data on them.

Frequently asked questions

Can I tell which state grew faster in percentage terms?

No. The data gives only absolute job gains for the 12 months through July 2026: Texas added 165,600 jobs and North Carolina added 51,600. A percentage growth rate needs each state’s starting employment level, which is not part of this comparison.

Does this data show which metro areas drove the gains?

No. The figures are statewide totals with no metro or county breakdown, so they cannot show how much Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, or any other metro contributed. Any claim about metro concentration would need separate metro-level employment data.

Do these figures show whether the same pattern held in earlier years?

No. They cover one 12-month window ending in July 2026 and say nothing about earlier periods. A single year can differ from the longer-term trend, so earlier years would need to be checked separately.

Related reading

• Compare Metro Unemployment Rates by Area: BLS Guide 2026
• US State Population Growth 2024-2025: Fastest-Growing States
• Compare Housing Affordability Between Texas Metro Areas