Amid calls for greater emphasis on vocational training that meets the needs of Texas employers, the state's higher education czar says universities should also remain focused on providing a “solid academic foundation."

Texas’ unemployment rate — 7.8 percent — is the lowest it’s been since July 2009, when the recession was just heating up, according to employment statistics released by the Texas Workforce Commission today. 

This update of our "Texas Economy by Region" interactive map compares the unemployment rate from 2010 to 2011 in each county to determine whether the economy has improved or declined. We’ve also included a map of Texas cities with pop-ups that show industry changes from 2010 to 2011. 

The Texas unemployment rate dropped only slightly this month from 8.5 percent to 8.4 percent, according to statistics released by the Texas Workforce Commission today. But the state's economy is not performing as well as it was this time last year. And as the national economy has improved, the Texas economy has lagged.

The numbers prove it: State government is shrinking. Many attribute the drop in state jobs to the budget cuts lawmakers passed last legislative session. But agencies had been preparing for the deficit by dropping employees for more than a year.

The shining Texas jobs miracle that Gov. Rick Perry is touting on the presidential campaign trail may be dimming, according to statistics released today by the Texas Workforce Commission. Texas lost 1,300 jobs in August, marking the first month of employment decline in Texas in almost a year.

On the national stage, Texas' economy is its best selling point. But this so-called "Texas Miracle" doesn't extend statewide: In the border region, unemployment reaches as high as 13.2 percent, and the median income is 30 percent lower than the statewide average. 

These interactive maps will give you a closer look at the unemployment rates, the number of jobs created or lost over the last year and the median annual income of the metropolitan regions in Texas.

Gov. Rick Perry — touting the state's job growth on the campaign trail — got some bad news this morning: The state's unemployment rate is the worst in nearly a quarter century.  

The “Texas jobs miracle” is a hot topic, but Texas’ unemployment rate is higher than all four states that border it — and it’s up slightly from last year. So why is everyone touting Texas, and Gov. Rick Perry, for its strong economy?

The Texas attorney general and the FBI are already investigating the accidental release of personal information by the comptroller's office. Now, as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, an outside group wants to start its own investigation.

Frustrated state employees continue to search for help — and answers — after the comptroller's office accidentally left sensitive personal data on an open server for anyone to see.

A new report details an undercover investigation of federally funded child care subsidy programs by the GAO in five states, including Texas. The GAO determined that the Texas program was vulnerable to fraud.

The number of Texans working was up in April, but so was the number of people looking for work.

Texas unemployment held steady at 8.2 percent last month, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. That's the same seasonally adjusted rate as in January, December, and November, but it's up from 6.8 percent in February of 2009.

A new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas compares the 2008-09 recession to other downturns — and puts it at the top of the list. Ben Philpott filed this report for KUT News and the Tribune.