DALLAS — State Rep. Venton Jones (D-Dallas) blasted Republican leaders today after new federal data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the Texas economy treading water while working families across the state pay more for gas, groceries, and housing than they did a year ago.
“Black unemployment is at 7.1 percent, nearly double the rate for white workers. Federal jobs that have been a ladder to the middle class for Black families are disappearing. Gas is up a dollar from last year. Groceries cost more,” said Rep. Venton Jones, who serves as the Texas House Democratic Caucus Whip**.** “Texas Republicans want to celebrate job numbers while families in my district are choosing between filling up their tank and buying groceries. These numbers don’t land the same when you’re in a community that’s been hit hardest and left out of the recovery. Tell a family paying nearly $4 for gas that the economy is doing great.”
The BLS January 2026 State Employment and Unemployment report puts Texas at 4.3 percent unemployment, up from a year ago and matching a national rate that has climbed since January 2025. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia saw unemployment rate increases from a year ago. Forty-five states saw essentially no change in employment over the year. Only four states in the entire country had significant job growth.
The Dallas Federal Reserve found that Texas employment growth was effectively zero in 2025 after federal revisions slashed reported national job gains by 70 percent.
In Dallas, gas is averaging $3.87 a gallon, up 36 percent from a year ago. Filling up a 15-gallon tank costs $12.50 more than last year. Diesel in North Texas hit $5.20 a gallon, up from $3.28 a year ago, a cost that gets passed directly to every product that moves by truck. National gas prices crossed $4 last week for the first time since August 2022, driven by the administration’s war in Iran. Gas in Dallas has gone up 30 cents in the last week alone.
Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi warned Monday that his recession indicator has been in positive territory since January, writing that “recession risks remain uncomfortably high, with close to even odds of a downturn in the coming year.” Zandi noted that without healthcare hiring, the national economy would already be losing jobs, and that the full economic fallout from the Iran war has yet to hit.
When asked about surging gas prices, President Trump told Reuters: “If they rise, they rise.” Texas’ all-time record of $4.69 per gallon is no longer out of reach.
To schedule an interview with Rep. Venton Jones, contact josh@texashousedems.com.