{"h1":"Best counties for laid-off professionals in the Southwest","faq":[{"a":"Dallas County is the best all-round county for laid-off professionals in the Southwest, with a score of 72 / 100.","q":"Which county ranks first: best counties for laid-off professionals in the southwest?"},{"a":"30 counties have at least 100 openings, so the list has 30 entries.","q":"How many counties are ranked?"},{"a":"A county's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked counties (100 is first, 0 is last): openings per 100 unemployed 40%, american job centers 20%, change in unemployment over a year 20%, private-sector job growth since 2022 20%. Openings are our professional roles placed in the county of the city their posting names; unemployment is BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted; jobs and sectors are BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; population is Census; American Job Centers are from CareerOneStop. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here. Only counties with at least 20,000 people in the labor force, 100 openings, 500 unemployed people and 50,000 residents are ranked.","q":"How is the ranking calculated?"},{"a":"Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.","q":"How often is it updated?"}],"lead":"Dallas County is the best all-round county for laid-off professionals in the Southwest, with a score of 72 / 100.","minN":100,"rows":[{"n":6562,"bar":1,"key":"48113","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/dallas-county","name":"Dallas County","rank":1,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"11"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"7"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.2 points"}],"value":71.72413793103448,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"72 / 100"},{"n":4986,"bar":0.980769230769231,"key":"48201","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/harris-county","name":"Harris County","rank":2,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"4"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"10"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.3 points"}],"value":70.3448275862069,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"70 / 100"},{"n":5850,"bar":0.9567307692307693,"key":"48453","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/travis-county","name":"Travis County","rank":3,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"19"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"2"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"+0.0 points"}],"value":68.62068965517241,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"69 / 100"},{"n":5165,"bar":0.9519230769230771,"key":"04013","sub":"AZ","href":"/places/arizona/county/maricopa-county","name":"Maricopa County","rank":4,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"5"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"6"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"+0.0 points"}],"value":68.27586206896552,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"68 / 100"},{"n":1498,"bar":0.9375000000000002,"key":"48085","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/collin-county","name":"Collin County","rank":5,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"5"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"2"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"+0.0 points"}],"value":67.24137931034484,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"67 / 100"},{"n":416,"bar":0.9278846153846154,"key":"32031","sub":"NV","href":"/places/nevada/county/washoe-county","name":"Washoe County","rank":6,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"4"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"2"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.7 points"}],"value":66.55172413793103,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"67 / 100"},{"n":154,"bar":0.8942307692307694,"key":"48329","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/midland-county","name":"Midland County","rank":7,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"5"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"0"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.2 points"}],"value":64.13793103448276,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"64 / 100"},{"n":121,"bar":0.8846153846153847,"key":"48397","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/rockwall-county","name":"Rockwall County","rank":8,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"4"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"0"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.2 points"}],"value":63.44827586206897,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"63 / 100"},{"n":1851,"bar":0.8317307692307693,"key":"48439","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/tarrant-county","name":"Tarrant County","rank":9,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"4"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"5"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.1 points"}],"value":59.6551724137931,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"60 / 100"},{"n":1031,"bar":0.8269230769230771,"key":"32003","sub":"NV","href":"/places/nevada/county/clark-county","name":"Clark County","rank":10,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"2"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"4"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.9 points"}],"value":59.31034482758621,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"59 / 100"},{"n":128,"bar":0.7980769230769232,"key":"48441","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/taylor-county","name":"Taylor County","rank":11,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"5"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"1"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.1 points"}],"value":57.24137931034483,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"57 / 100"},{"n":307,"bar":0.7596153846153847,"key":"48141","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/el-paso-county","name":"El Paso County","rank":12,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"2"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"4"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.5 points"}],"value":54.48275862068966,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"54 / 100"},{"n":104,"bar":0.7548076923076924,"key":"48231","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/hunt-county","name":"Hunt County","rank":13,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"4"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"1"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"+0.0 points"}],"value":54.13793103448276,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"54 / 100"},{"n":132,"bar":0.6634615384615385,"key":"04021","sub":"AZ","href":"/places/arizona/county/pinal-county","name":"Pinal County","rank":14,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"1"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"2"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.1 points"}],"value":47.58620689655172,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"48 / 100"},{"n":209,"bar":0.6586538461538463,"key":"48309","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/mclennan-county","name":"McLennan County","rank":15,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"4"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"1"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.2 points"}],"value":47.24137931034483,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"47 / 100"},{"n":128,"bar":0.6442307692307693,"key":"48375","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/potter-county","name":"Potter County","rank":16,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"6"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"1"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"+0.4 points"}],"value":46.20689655172414,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"46 / 100"},{"n":1327,"bar":0.6346153846153847,"key":"48029","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/bexar-county","name":"Bexar County","rank":17,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"3"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"5"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"+0.0 points"}],"value":45.51724137931035,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"46 / 100"},{"n":416,"bar":0.6346153846153846,"key":"48121","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/denton-county","name":"Denton County","rank":18,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"2"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"2"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.1 points"}],"value":45.51724137931034,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"46 / 100"},{"n":287,"bar":0.6153846153846154,"key":"48491","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/williamson-county","name":"Williamson County","rank":19,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"2"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"1"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.1 points"}],"value":44.13793103448275,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"44 / 100"},{"n":183,"bar":0.6105769230769232,"key":"48157","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/fort-bend-county","name":"Fort Bend County","rank":20,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"1"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"3"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.1 points"}],"value":43.79310344827587,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"44 / 100"},{"n":130,"bar":0.5961538461538463,"key":"48423","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/smith-county","name":"Smith County","rank":21,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"3"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"1"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.1 points"}],"value":42.75862068965517,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"43 / 100"},{"n":691,"bar":0.576923076923077,"key":"04019","sub":"AZ","href":"/places/arizona/county/pima-county","name":"Pima County","rank":22,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"3"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"8"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"+0.1 points"}],"value":41.37931034482759,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"41 / 100"},{"n":132,"bar":0.5673076923076925,"key":"48355","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/nueces-county","name":"Nueces County","rank":23,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"2"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"1"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.1 points"}],"value":40.6896551724138,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"41 / 100"},{"n":605,"bar":0.5625,"key":"40109","sub":"OK","href":"/places/oklahoma/county/oklahoma-county","name":"Oklahoma County","rank":24,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"4"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"1"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"+0.2 points"}],"value":40.34482758620689,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"40 / 100"},{"n":271,"bar":0.5576923076923077,"key":"48339","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/montgomery-county","name":"Montgomery County","rank":25,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"2"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"1"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.1 points"}],"value":40,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"40 / 100"},{"n":131,"bar":0.5240384615384617,"key":"48061","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/cameron-county","name":"Cameron County","rank":26,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"1"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"2"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−1.6 points"}],"value":37.58620689655173,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"38 / 100"},{"n":542,"bar":0.5096153846153847,"key":"40143","sub":"OK","href":"/places/oklahoma/county/tulsa-county","name":"Tulsa County","rank":27,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"4"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"1"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"+0.4 points"}],"value":36.55172413793104,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"37 / 100"},{"n":137,"bar":0.4326923076923078,"key":"48167","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/galveston-county","name":"Galveston County","rank":28,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"2"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"1"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"−0.1 points"}],"value":31.03448275862069,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"31 / 100"},{"n":378,"bar":0.3413461538461539,"key":"35001","sub":"NM","href":"/places/new-mexico/county/bernalillo-county","name":"Bernalillo County","rank":29,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"2"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"1"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"+0.8 points"}],"value":24.48275862068965,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"24 / 100"},{"n":146,"bar":0.2788461538461539,"key":"48303","sub":"TX","href":"/places/texas/county/lubbock-county","name":"Lubbock County","rank":30,"stats":[{"label":"Openings per 100 unemployed","value":"2"},{"label":"American Job Centers","value":"0"},{"label":"Change in unemployment over a year","value":"+0.1 points"}],"value":20,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"20 / 100"}],"slug":"best-counties-for-laid-off-professionals-in-the-southwest","unit":"openings","scope":{"id":"southwest","kind":"region","name":"Southwest"},"title":"Best counties for laid-off professionals in the Southwest","family":"Best overall","method":["A county's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked counties (100 is first, 0 is last): openings per 100 unemployed 40%, american job centers 20%, change in unemployment over a year 20%, private-sector job growth since 2022 20%.","Openings are our professional roles placed in the county of the city their posting names; unemployment is BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted; jobs and sectors are BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; population is Census; American Job Centers are from CareerOneStop. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here.","Only counties with at least 20,000 people in the labor force, 100 openings, 500 unemployed people and 50,000 residents are ranked."],"builtAt":"2026-11-04T03:37:37.436Z","edition":"2026-11","measure":"claidoff","sources":["NextChapter job data: open professional roles by county","Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages","CareerOneStop American Job Center directory"],"baseline":null,"keyFacts":["#1 Dallas County, TX: 72 / 100","#2 Harris County, TX: 70 / 100","#3 Travis County, TX: 69 / 100","30 counties ranked in the Southwest","Data as of November 2026"],"placeNoun":"counties","commentary":["The top ten is tightly packed: Dallas County leads on 72 / 100, and #10 Clark County is at 59 / 100.","Rockwall County reaches #8 on a sample of 121 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.","Dallas County is the largest market in the top ten, with 6,562 openings behind its figure.","Counties with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful."],"license":"Free to use and share with a link to https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-counties-for-laid-off-professionals-in-the-southwest"}