Hunt Insights · Regional Economy
Hunt Institute Tracks Mixed Growth Across Paso del Norte
The Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness’ September 2026 Paso del Norte Economic Indicator Review points to a mixed regional economy, with employment gains in El Paso and Las Cruces alongside continued job losses in Ciudad Juárez.
+2.2%
+3.4%
-2.8%
Total non-farm jobs · July 2025 to July 2026 · Preliminary July 2026 data
The Big Picture
From July 2025 to July 2026, El Paso added 7,900 non-farm jobs, a 2.2% increase, while Las Cruces added 2,700 jobs, up 3.4%. Ciudad Juárez lost 13,676 jobs, marking its 34th consecutive month of year-over-year employment declines. Manufacturing accounted for much of the difference: El Paso gained 900 manufacturing jobs while Juárez lost approximately 14,260.
Paso del Norte Total Non-farm Employment by Sector
July 2026 · Year-over-year change · Bars show percentage change; net job changes appear at right.
Scroll horizontally to view the complete chart.
| Sector | Economy | Percentage change | YoY | Net jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mining and construction | El Paso | 8.2% | 1,300 | |
| Las Cruces | 16.0% | 800 | ||
| Ciudad Juárez | -6.1% | -780 | ||
| United States | 0.5% | 50,000 | ||
| Mexico | 1.4% | 25,670 | ||
| Manufacturing | El Paso | 5.1% | 900 | |
| Las Cruces | 3.1% | 100 | ||
| Ciudad Juárez | -4.7% | -14,260 | ||
| United States | 0.1% | 10,000 | ||
| Mexico | -0.7% | -41,070 | ||
| Services | El Paso | 0.4% | 1,100 | |
| Las Cruces | 1.3% | 800 | ||
| Ciudad Juárez | 2.3% | 1,750 | ||
| United States | 0.3% | 335,000 | ||
| Mexico | 2.3% | 167,320 | ||
| Transportation and utilities | El Paso | 8.7% | 1,800 | |
| Las Cruces | 7.7% | 200 | ||
| Ciudad Juárez | -2.9% | -880 | ||
| United States | -0.5% | -33,400 | ||
| Mexico | 7.1% | 131,650 | ||
| Trade | El Paso | 5.1% | 2,800 | |
| Las Cruces | 8.5% | 800 | ||
| Ciudad Juárez | 1.4% | 810 | ||
| United States | 0.4% | 90,700 | ||
| Mexico | 1.7% | 80,890 | ||
| Year-over-year change (%) | Zero line at 0% | |||
Note: July 2026 data are preliminary. Services exclude trade, transportation, and utilities. Beginning July 1, 2025, IMSS incorporated digital platform workers under new pilot rules.
Source: Hunt Institute calculations using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social.
Beyond Employment
The report also examines bankruptcy filings and residential construction.
El Paso recorded 1,212 bankruptcy filings from January through August, an 8.4% increase from the same period in 2025. That was the smallest percentage increase among El Paso, Austin, Midland, and San Antonio.
Total Bankruptcy Filings in Austin, El Paso, Midland, and San Antonio
January-August · 2025 compared with 2026
Scroll horizontally to view all columns.
| City | 2025 Jan-Aug |
2026 Jan-Aug |
Change | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio, TX | 2,040 | 2,470 | 430 | 21.1% |
| Austin, TX | 1,366 | 1,747 | 381 | 27.9% |
| El Paso, TX | 1,118 | 1,212 | 94 | 8.4% |
| Midland, TX | 141 | 223 | 82 | 58.2% |
Note: Filings include Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 cases.
Source: Hunt Institute using data from the Western District of Texas U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
El Paso also stood apart in residential building activity. Among seven selected metropolitan areas, it was the only one to record an increase in new, privately owned, single-unit building permits per 100,000 residents from January through July. The increase was modest—0.7%—while each of the other MSAs declined.
Building Permits for New, Privately Owned, Single-Unit Housing
Selected MSAs · Permits per 100,000 residents · January-July
Scroll horizontally to view all columns.
| MSA | 2025 Jan-Jul |
2026 Jan-Jul |
Change | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | 375 | 366 | -9 | -2.4% |
| Houston, TX | 377 | 358 | -19 | -5.0% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | 305 | 295 | -10 | -3.3% |
| Laredo, TX | 238 | 211 | -27 | -11.2% |
| San Antonio, TX | 212 | 206 | -7 | -3.1% |
| Las Cruces, NM | 203 | 194 | -10 | -4.7% |
| El Paso, TX | 134 | 135 | 1 | 0.7% |
Note: Authorized, unadjusted units. Totals per 100,000 residents are rounded to whole numbers; changes and percentages are reproduced as published. Austin includes Round Rock-Georgetown; Dallas-Fort Worth includes Arlington; Houston includes The Woodlands-Sugar Land; San Antonio includes New Braunfels.
Source: Hunt Institute calculations using data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Go Deeper
The full report includes employment trends by sector, bankruptcy comparisons across Texas cities, and residential building permit and price data.
Average Price of Building Units for New, Privately Owned, Single-Unit Housing
Selected MSAs · USD thousands · January-July
Scroll horizontally to view all columns.
| MSA | 2025 Jan-Jul |
2026 Jan-Jul |
Change | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laredo, TX | $282 | $363 | $81 | 28.7% |
| Houston, TX | $297 | $309 | $11 | 3.8% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | $302 | $288 | -$14 | -4.6% |
| Austin, TX | $308 | $286 | -$22 | -7.2% |
| Las Cruces, NM | $274 | $278 | $4 | 1.6% |
| El Paso, TX | $236 | $250 | $13 | 5.7% |
| San Antonio, TX | $283 | $237 | -$45 | -16.0% |
Note: Authorized, unadjusted units. Amounts are shown in USD thousands; numerical and percentage changes are reproduced as published. MSA definitions match those in the building permit table.
Source: Hunt Institute calculations using data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Read the September 2026 Paso del Norte Economic Indicator Review (PDF)
