How's this for a jobs miracle?

The Texas unemployment rate hit 8.4 percent in July — its highest mark since 1987.

1987? Hey, that's so long ago, Rick Perry hadn't even decided to be co-chair of Al Gore's presidential campaign yet!

Overall, the unemployment rate in Texas ticked up by 0.2%. During the same period, it dropped by 0.1% in the nation as a whole.

If you look at not seasonally adjusted numbers for Texas, the total number of jobs grew, but when comes to measuring changes in employment and unemployment, it's generally accepted that you should use seasonally adjusted figures. Using those numbers, check out this comparison between the U.S. as a whole and Texas:

Texas ranks 25th overall in unemployment rate, so maybe the biggest miracle about Texas and job creation is that anybody ever thought it was a miracle to begin with.