The percent of the labor force that is unemployed: 1990-2009.

Earlier this year, Google unveiled a cool new tool for visualizing public information.

The company created interactive charts that display unemployment statistics, carbon dioxide emissions, and life expectancy rates, among many other public data sets.

The unemployment feature is particularly interesting in the context of the national economy and the governor’s race. It allows users to compare rates by state and even specific counties. This chart shows how Texas’ unemployment rate compares the country as a whole, for example.

We’ve been crunching these Texas unemployment numbers in more detail, and we’re planning some stories soon. Let us know what you find.

Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them. For a complete list of contributors, click here.

Texans need the truth. Help us report it.

Become a member. Join today.

Choose an amount or learn more about membership.

Matt Stiles covered government and politics for the Tribune, with a focus on data journalism, from 2009 to 2011. He oversaw and developed the Tribune’s library of web applications and interactive graphics....