Updated Interactive: Texas Budget Cuts Shrink State Government

With the state tightening its budget belt, there are now 10,200 fewer state employees, according to our latest analysis of the state government employment data collected by the state auditor’s office. This update to our previous interactive shows how budget cuts affected employment at state-funded entities from the second quarter of fiscal year 2011 to the second quarter of fiscal 2012.

All of the jobs shown in this interactive are funded by state appropriations. Many of the entities that receive state funding, such as public universities, have other funding sources that support more jobs than what is shown here. In the table below, you can find what percentage of the total employment is paid with state funds at each entity. The graphs show the number or percent change of full-time equivalents — the total number of hours worked by all employees divided by the length of a common work-week, 40 hours — funded by state appropriations.

Related interactive: Texas' Economy Bounces Back



Select one or more:



State Agency Article in
the Budget
Percent of Employees
Paid by State Appropriations
Full-Time Equivalents
(Hours Worked / Count of Employees)
Full-Time Employees Part-Time Employees
Total Difference from Last Year Percent Change from Last Year Total Change from Last Year Total Change from Last Year
Adjutant General Public Safety & Criminal Justice 97% 594 -11 -1.8% 599 -6 9 0
Agriculture, Department of Natural Resources 100% 566 -69 -10.8% 559 -76 2 -4
Alcoholic Beverage Commission Public Safety & Criminal Justice 100% 568 -49 -8% 567 -49 5 1
Angelo State University Education 46% 500 -47 -8.6% 407 -37 134 -8
Animal Health Commission Natural Resources 100% 136 -58 -30% 135 -59 0 -1
Architectural Examiners, Board of Regulatory Agencies 0% 0 0 n/a 0 0 0 0
Arts, Commission on the General Government 100% 10 -7 -40.3% 12 -4 0 -1
Attorney General, Office of the General Government 100% 4017 -70 -1.7% 4007 -65 56 3
Banking, State Department of Regulatory Agencies 0% 0 0 n/a 0 0 0 0
Blind and Visually Impaired, School for the Education 100% 389 5 1.2% 297 1 296 8
Board of Dental Examiners Regulatory Agencies 94% 32 -1 -1.8% 31 -1 2 1
Bond Review Board General Government 100% 7 -1 -13.6% 6 -1 1 0
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas General Government 95% 21 2 7.7% 21 2 0 -1
Chiropractic Examiners, Board of Regulatory Agencies 100% 9 -1 -10% 9 1 1 0
Commission on State Emergency Communication General Government 100% 22 -2 -6.8% 21 -2 3 0
Comptroller - Fiscal Programs General Government 100% 19 -3 -11.7% 21 -1 0 0
Comptroller of Public Accounts, State General Government 100% 2707 -180 -6.2% 2707 -161 7 -2
Consumer Credit Commissioner, Office of Regulatory Agencies 0% 0 0 n/a 0 0 0 0
Coordinating Board, Higher Education Education 100% 247 -32 -11.4% 246 -28 4 -4
Court Administration, Office of Judiciary 100% 201 10 5.2% 199 11 7 1
Court of Civil Appeals - Eighth District Judiciary 100% 17 -1 -4.6% 17 0 0 0
Court of Civil Appeals - Eleventh District Judiciary 100% 17 1 6.7% 17 2 0 0
Court of Civil Appeals - Fifth District Judiciary 100% 57 -2 -3.7% 53 -4 9 3
Court of Civil Appeals - First District Judiciary 100% 45 -2 -3.3% 46 -2 0 0
Court of Civil Appeals - Fourteenth District Judiciary 100% 43 -2 -4.1% 43 -1 0 -2
Court of Civil Appeals - Fourth District Judiciary 100% 32 -1 -3% 32 -2 0 0
Court of Civil Appeals - Ninth District Judiciary 100% 21 0 1.5% 21 0 0 0
Court of Civil Appeals - Second District Judiciary 99% 38 0 -0.1% 38 0 0 0
Court of Civil Appeals - Seventh District Judiciary 100% 20 0 0% 20 0 0 0
Court of Civil Appeals - Sixth District Judiciary 100% 16 0 0% 15 0 1 0
Court of Civil Appeals - Tenth District Judiciary 100% 16 1 4.9% 15 1 1 0
Court of Civil Appeals - Third District Judiciary 100% 33 0 -1.5% 33 2 0 -4
Court of Civil Appeals - Thirteenth District Judiciary 100% 32 -1 -2.1% 32 -1 0 0
Court of Civil Appeals - Twelfth District Judiciary 100% 14 0 -2.9% 14 -1 0 0
Court of Criminal Appeals Judiciary 100% 70 5 8.5% 70 -1 0 0
Credit Union Department Regulatory Agencies 0% 0 0 n/a 0 0 0 0
Criminal Justice, Department of Public Safety & Criminal Justice 100% 38015 -2031 -5.1% 37855 -1852 592 -4
Deaf, School for the Education 100% 465 -22 -4.6% 352 -18 199 9
Department of Aging and Disability Services Health and Human Services 99% 16500 -723 -4.2% 16464 -848 52 -11
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services Health and Human Services 99% 3050 -142 -4.4% 3043 -129 14 -5
Department of Family and Protective Services Health and Human Services 100% 10426 -544 -5% 10510 -457 41 -7
Department of Motor Vehicles Business & Economic Development 97% 649 120 22.7% 689 149 1 0
Department of State Health Services Health and Human Services 100% 11867 -309 -2.5% 11551 -394 265 -13
District Courts (Comptroller's Jud. Section) Judiciary 100% 608 -1 -0.1% 607 -3 0 0
Education Agency, Texas Education 96% 690 -372 -35% 689 -355 9 -5
Employees Retirement System of Texas General Government 99% 314 -7 -2.1% 315 -3 1 -1
Ethics Commission General Government 100% 33 -1 -2.3% 33 -1 0 0
Fire Fighter's Pension Commission General Government 100% 8 1 7.8% 7 0 1 0
Fire Protection, Commission on Public Safety & Criminal Justice 100% 30 -5 -15.2% 31 -5 0 0
Funeral Service Commission Regulatory Agencies 100% 10 -2 -15.4% 10 -2 0 0
General Land Office Natural Resources 100% 584 16 2.8% 592 35 9 -11
Health & Human Services Commission Health and Human Services 99% 11871 -223 -1.8% 11946 -217 13 -9
Health Professions Council Regulatory Agencies 100% 5 0 0% 5 0 0 0
Historical Commission General Government 100% 172 -43 -20% 165 -39 16 0
Housing and Community Affairs, Dept. of Business & Economic Development 100% 318 -45 -12.4% 314 -54 0 -1
Information Resources, Dept. of General Government 100% 187 -27 -12.6% 188 -27 0 0
Insurance, Department of Regulatory Agencies 98% 1427 -44 -3% 1403 -68 26 -1
Jail Standards, Commission on Public Safety & Criminal Justice 100% 15 -4 -19.9% 14 -4 1 0
Judicial Conduct, State Commission on Judiciary 100% 14 0 1.6% 14 0 0 0
Lamar Institute of Technology Education 90% 200 1 0.6% 161 6 119 0
Lamar State College - Orange Education 84% 157 5 3.4% 129 3 66 -1
Lamar State College - Port Arthur Education 90% 207 0 -0.1% 185 -4 80 65
Lamar University Education 71% 1009 -484 -32.4% 891 -115 347 -77
Law Enforcement Officers Standards & Ed. Public Safety & Criminal Justice 100% 37 -8 -17.2% 37 -8 2 2
Law Examiners, Board of Judiciary 0% 0 0 n/a 0 0 0 0
Law Library, State Judiciary 100% 9 -3 -23.1% 8 -2 2 -1
Legislative Budget Board The Legislature 100% 151 -2 -1.1% 149 -2 2 -2
Legislative Council The Legislature 100% 383 -139 -26.7% 376 -140 10 -12
Legislative Reference Library The Legislature 100% 25 -1 -5.3% 21 -3 6 -1
Library and Archives Commission General Government 100% 152 -24 -13.8% 138 -21 24 -7
Licensing and Regulation, Dept. of Regulatory Agencies 100% 360 4 1.1% 357 2 6 5
Midwestern State University Education 49% 391 -50 -11.4% 374 -47 15 -2
Office of Capital Writs Judiciary 100% 9 1 6.2% 9 2 0 0
Office of Injured Employee Counsel Regulatory Agencies 100% 154 -8 -4.9% 150 -11 2 -1
Office of Public Insurance Counsel Regulatory Agencies 100% 10 0 0.3% 9 -1 1 0
Office of Risk Management, State General Government 100% 113 -9 -7.6% 113 -8 0 -1
Office of the Governor General Government 98% 106 -157 -59.8% 112 -151 3 0
Office of Violent Sex Offender Management Public Safety & Criminal Justice 100% 20 20 0% 20 20 0 0
Optometry Board Regulatory Agencies 100% 7 0 0% 6 0 1 0
Parks and Wildlife Department Natural Resources 100% 2813 -226 -7.4% 2777 -186 133 -19
Pension Review Board, State General Government 100% 12 1 7.7% 12 1 0 0
Pharmacy, Board of Regulatory Agencies 100% 71 1 1.5% 72 3 0 0
Physical and Occupational Therapy Examiners, Executive Council of Regulatory Agencies 100% 18 0 -1.9% 18 0 0 0
Plumbing Examiners, State Board of Regulatory Agencies 100% 24 0 1.3% 24 1 0 0
Podiatric Medical Examiners, State Board of Regulatory Agencies 100% 3 0 0% 3 0 0 0
Prairie View A&M University Education 64% 879 -93 -9.6% 791 -78 241 -46
Preservation Board, State General Government 35% 63 -23 -26.8% 57 -26 16 -1
Professional Engineers, Texas Board of Regulatory Agencies 0% 0 0 n/a 0 0 0 0
Professional Land Surveying, Board of Regulatory Agencies 100% 5 0 0% 4 0 2 0
Prosecuting Attorney, State Judiciary 100% 3 -1 -25.2% 3 -1 0 -1
Psychologists, Board of Examiners of Regulatory Agencies 100% 13 0 0.3% 12 1 2 0
Public Accountancy, State Board of Regulatory Agencies 0% 0 0 n/a 0 0 0 0
Public Finance Authority General Government 100% 12 0 -2.9% 11 0 1 0
Public Safety, Department of Public Safety & Criminal Justice 98% 8140 -25 -0.3% 8206 -29 106 9
Public Utility Commission of Texas Regulatory Agencies 100% 170 -12 -6.6% 170 -10 1 -1
Public Utility Counsel, Office of Regulatory Agencies 100% 16 -1 -6.4% 16 -1 0 -1
Racing Commission Regulatory Agencies 100% 42 -8 -16.7% 43 -10 11 4
Railroad Commission Natural Resources 99% 640 -1 -0.2% 647 7 8 -1
Real Estate Commission Regulatory Agencies 100% 98 1 1.5% 101 5 0 0
Sam Houston State University Education 45% 1007 20 2% 844 -150 217 -131
Secretary of State General Government 100% 188 -12 -6.2% 185 -16 0 -1
Securities Board Regulatory Agencies 97% 91 -4 -4.6% 91 -2 1 -2
Soil & Water Conservation Board Natural Resources 100% 71 0 -0.4% 69 -1 4 1
State Auditor's Office The Legislature 100% 175 -10 -5.6% 171 -15 3 0
State Bar of Texas Judiciary 0% 0 0 n/a 0 0 0 0
State Office of Administrative Hearings Regulatory Agencies 100% 106 -6 -5.7% 104 -6 2 -1
Stephen F. Austin State University Education 69% 1302 176 15.6% 1058 35 633 184
Sul Ross State University Education 67% 292 -14 -4.7% 247 17 110 36
Sul Ross State University Rio Grand College Education 85% 65 -6 -7.8% 60 -1 32 10
Sunset Advisory Commission The Legislature 100% 30 -1 -1.9% 29 0 2 0
Supreme Court of Texas Judiciary 100% 74 0 0.6% 73 0 1 0
Tarleton State University (A&M) Education 50% 572 -41 -6.7% 457 4 142 -120
Teacher Retirement System Education 89% 459 -5 -1% 451 -4 13 -6
Texas A&M International University Education 56% 470 -41 -8% 406 -49 185 74
Texas A&M System - Office of Sponsored Research Education 0% 0 0 0% 0 0 0 0
Texas A&M University - Central Texas Education 63% 139 139 0% 121 121 69 69
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi Education 47% 682 -149 -17.9% 610 -88 182 -63
Texas A&M University - Galveston Education 51% 222 -17 -7.3% 190 -15 65 -3
Texas A&M University - Kingsville Education 50% 608 -282 -31.7% 581 -227 47 -110
Texas A&M University - Main Education 48% 5274 -298 -5.4% 3926 -180 2698 -223
Texas A&M University - San Antonio Education 74% 220 220 0% 189 189 88 88
Texas A&M University System Administration Education 26% 82 -41 -33.2% 71 -41 27 -13
Texas A&M University System Health Science Center Education 69% 1109 10 1% 941 -1 412 -3
Texas A&M University-Commerce Education 64% 788 -15 -1.9% 646 16 372 -67
Texas A&M University-Texarkana Education 80% 173 18 12% 154 13 88 26
Texas AgriLife Research (A&M) Education 48% 766 -130 -14.5% 449 -101 782 -66
Texas Board of Geoscientist Regulatory Agencies 100% 7 -1 -12.5% 7 -1 0 0
Texas Board of Nursing Regulatory Agencies 98% 94 -1 -1.2% 92 -2 1 0
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Natural Resources 100% 2638 -231 -8.1% 2629 -211 13 1
Texas Cooperative to Texas Agrilife Extension Service Education 65% 917 -88 -8.8% 845 -40 257 -43
Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending Regulatory Agencies 100% 62 2 2.5% 61 1 1 0
Texas Engineering Experiment Station (A&M) Education 81% 865 -51 -5.6% 242 -81 1259 -90
Texas Engineering Extension Service (A&M) Education 96% 536 -38 -6.6% 447 -19 311 2
Texas Facilities Commission General Government 74% 259 -13 -4.7% 259 -5 0 0
Texas Forest Service (A&M) Education 88% 377 12 3.3% 372 5 26 -21
Texas House of Representatives The Legislature 100% 730 -161 -18.1% 672 -258 138 11
Texas Juvenile Justice Department Public Safety & Criminal Justice 100% 2683 2683 0% 2683 2683 21 21
Texas Lottery Commission Business & Economic Development 100% 306 -12 -3.8% 307 -10 2 0
Texas Medical Board Regulatory Agencies 100% 159 3 2.1% 156 5 4 -2
Texas Senate The Legislature 100% 501 -104 -17.2% 465 -137 86 -11
Texas Southern University Education 66% 893 -64 -6.7% 791 -72 253 17
Texas State Technical College - Harlingen Education 77% 408 -11 -2.6% 368 -22 207 2
Texas State Technical College - Marshall Education 87% 96 0 -0.4% 87 -2 23 0
Texas State Technical College - System Education 92% 40 -3 -7.1% 37 -2 6 1
Texas State Technical College - Waco Education 80% 565 8 1.4% 537 49 100 -26
Texas State Technical College - West Texas Education 85% 217 -12 -5.4% 189 -22 45 5
Texas State University - San Marcos Education 49% 2083 75 3.7% 1647 74 1314 112
Texas State University System Administration Education 62% 13 2 17.3% 13 2 0 0
Texas Tech University Education 41% 2507 -201 -7.4% 1964 -77 1268 -124
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Education 33% 1728 -93 -5.1% 1623 -41 221 -25
Texas Tech University System Administration Education 37% 55 -14 -19.8% 54 -10 2 -4
Texas Transportation Institute Education 89% 396 -12 -3% 249 -33 232 35
Texas Woman's University Education 60% 1077 -17 -1.6% 912 -9 542 13
Texas Workforce Commission Business & Economic Development 100% 3428 -117 -3.3% 3425 -149 27 4
Transportation, Department of Business & Economic Development 98% 11446 -339 -2.9% 11453 -325 23 -3
Trusteed Programs Within the Office of the Governor General Government 100% 146 146 0% 146 146 1 1
University of Houston Education 42% 2739 -146 -5.1% 2453 -119 828 -16
University of Houston - Clear Lake Education 56% 560 -66 -10.6% 527 -10 111 -76
University of Houston - Downtown Education 46% 486 -45 -8.5% 478 -31 28 -7
University of Houston - Victoria Education 72% 306 20 6.8% 300 21 22 3
University of Houston System Administration Education 93% 87 -9 -9.8% 83 -4 11 -8
University of North Texas Education 64% 3392 -213 -5.9% 2543 -220 1907 -6
University of North Texas at Dallas Education 81% 153 153 0% 134 134 55 55
University of North Texas Health Science Center Education 45% 665 -40 -5.7% 621 -30 149 8
University of North Texas System Administration Education 17% 62 -172 -73.3% 62 -149 0 -72
University of Texas - Brownsville Education 52% 756 -57 -7% 778 -40 699 -104
University of Texas - Pan American Education 64% 1520 -104 -6.4% 1257 -108 547 -13
University of Texas at Arlington Education 59% 2323 -38 -1.6% 1831 -50 998 18
University of Texas at Austin Education 36% 5903 -320 -5.1% 4124 -307 4175 62
University of Texas at Dallas Education 48% 1612 129 8.7% 1428 37 406 -26
University of Texas at El Paso Education 61% 1995 -25 -1.2% 1504 -30 1117 -10
University of Texas at San Antonio Education 60% 2561 27 1.1% 2182 34 1092 6
University of Texas at Tyler Education 62% 531 0 0% 505 18 94 -46
University of Texas Health Center at Tyler Education 82% 777 78 11.1% 634 -16 59 -4
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Education 30% 1557 -163 -9.5% 1390 -201 371 -7
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Education 37% 2058 -170 -7.6% 1864 -162 376 -34
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Education 73% 13327 329 2.5% 12031 -144 1659 502
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Education 43% 4591 -2 0% 4437 -31 444 -24
University of Texas of the Permian Basin Education 74% 313 -60 -16.1% 282 -38 96 -103
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Education 14% 1577 -244 -13.4% 1465 -253 151 -16
University of Texas System Administration Education 40% 224 14 6.9% 220 16 25 -2
Veterans Commission General Government 43% 144 -3 -1.8% 145 0 1 0
Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab., Tx (A&M) Education 99% 148 3 1.8% 123 0 65 14
Veterinary Medical Examiners Regulatory Agencies 100% 15 1 4.1% 16 1 0 0
Water Development Board Natural Resources 100% 290 -69 -19.2% 285 -69 4 0
West Texas A&M University Education 54% 578 -102 -15% 470 -103 241 19
Youth Commission Public Safety & Criminal Justice n/a 0 -3426 -100% 0 -3444 0 -22
Statewide Totals All Agencies 73% 225741 -10213 -4.3% 37855 -10111 31274 -518


Data highlights: The Department of Criminal Justice lost the most employees — more than 2,000 full-time equivalents, or 5 percent of overall employment. Still, the department has 12,000 more state-paid employees than the next largest agency, the Department of Aging and Disability Services.

The Texas Education Agency lost 40 percent of its budget and dropped more than a third of its full-time employees over the last year, 355 people. Nearly every division of the agency was affected by the cuts, but the grants, technology, educator certification and investigation divisions were hit the hardest, according to a TEA representative.

In total, higher-education systems and universities dropped 2,888 full-time equivalents. On average, those entities each lost 5 percent of their state-paid employees, or 40 workers. The University of North Texas System administration dropped the greatest percentage of state-paid employees, nearly three-quarters or 171 full-time equivalents.

The five state health agencies dropped 2,045 full-time employees and 45 part-time employees. The Department of Aging and Disability Services lost the most, with 723 full-time equivalents. About 400 of the jobs were shifted to the private sector as a result of the state's expansion of managed care, said Allison Lowery, an agency spokeswoman. "Nearly every one of these 400 staff members has found employment in these areas or else has voluntarily declined these job offers in order to pursue opportunities elsewhere," she said. The department lost 27 percent of its budget in the 2012-13 biennium, which is 12 percent more than any other state health agencies.

The Health and Human Services Commission, which oversees Medicaid, dropped a little more than 200 employees, or 1.8 percent of its workforce. The agency has had a hiring freeze for the last two years, and it doesn’t plan on removing it anytime soon.

In a state with more than 12.5 million workers, 10,200 lost jobs may seem like a drop in the bucket. Economists agree that the total loss of 67,000 jobs in federal, state and local government in 2011 dampened private-sector growth. While Texas shed those government workers over the last year, the total number of unemployed people dropped by 120,600 as the overall economy improved, according to Texas Workforce Commission statistics.

Sources: Texas State Auditor's Office | Built with: Highcharts JS | Feedback | Follow @TribData on Twitter.

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