DFW Jobs Report: September 2026
The Dallas-Fort Worth area had about 4.35 million jobs in September 2026, up 1.0% from a year earlier. That works out to tens of thousands of jobs added across the region over the past 12 months. The unemployment rate was 4.1%, down from 4.4% in August.
Where the jobs are growing
Professional and business services led the way, up 3.7% over the year to about 810,000 jobs. That covers fields like accounting, legal, engineering, and corporate offices. Construction was close behind, up 2.8% to about 275,000 jobs, which reflects all the building still going on across the region. Leisure and hospitality grew 1.2%, and trade, transportation, and utilities, the region’s largest sector at about 894,000 jobs, grew 1.1%.
Where things slowed
The information sector, which includes telecommunications and publishing, dropped 4.3% to about 83,000 jobs. Government was down 0.5%, and financial activities slipped 0.3%. Manufacturing and education and health services held about even with last year.
East side vs. west side
The Bureau of Labor Statistics splits the metro into two halves, and they aren’t moving at the same pace.
Fort Worth-Arlington (Tarrant, Johnson, Parker, Wise, Hood, and Somervell counties) had about 1.22 million jobs in September, up 1.2% from a year earlier. Construction led the way, up 4.5%, followed by professional and business services at 4.3% and leisure and hospitality at 2.5%. Government jobs were down 2.2%. The unemployment rate was 4.1%.
Dallas-Plano-Irving (Dallas, Collin, Denton, Ellis, Kaufman, Rockwall, and Hunt counties) had about 3.13 million jobs in August, the latest month available, up 0.8% from a year earlier. Professional and business services grew 2.7% and construction grew 2.2%, while manufacturing slipped 0.8%. The unemployment rate was 4.4%.
If you’re deciding where in the Metroplex to live, it’s worth looking at where the jobs in your field are growing, along with commute times to where you’d be working.
What it means for a move
DFW’s economy doesn’t lean on any one industry, so a slowdown in one area tends to be offset by growth in another. For anyone thinking about relocating here or moving within the area, that variety is a big part of what keeps the job market steady. My breakdown of the region’s 10 largest industries lays out how the whole economy is divided up, and the biggest employers in DFW puts company names to the sectors above.
Check the numbers yourself
These figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Economy at a Glance page, which is free and updated monthly. The September numbers are preliminary and not seasonally adjusted, so they may change slightly when BLS revises them.
If you’re thinking about a move to Dallas-Fort Worth, I’m happy to help.
Sources
About the Author
Christina Kang is a broker associate with CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company, serving buyers and sellers across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, from Denton County to Johnson County. A former state certified residential appraiser, she holds the GRI, MCNE, and CLHMS designations and brings a hands-on understanding of how homes are built, updated, and valued. She lives in Grand Prairie, where she has renovated much of her own home.