Department of Numbers

Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Brownsville fell 0.3 percentage points in January 2021 to 10.2%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 3.4 percentage points higher than the Texas rate. The unemployment rate in Brownsville peaked in April 2020 at 17.6% and is now 7.4 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 9.1% in August 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 1.1 percentage points. You can also compare Brownsville unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate January 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.3% -0.4 +2.8
Texas 6.8% -0.1 +3.2
Brownsville 10.2% -0.3 +4.6
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with January 2021 data as February metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Brownsville, Texas, National

Brownsville, Texas monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Brownsville, Texas Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Brownsville peaked in April 2020 at 27,433. There are now 10,137 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 15,368 in August 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 1,928. Brownsville employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Brownsville, Texas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons January 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Brownsville 17,296 -115 +7,811

Number of Unemployed Persons

Brownsville, Texas Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Texas
Unemployment Rate		 Brownsville
Unemployment Rate		 Brownsville
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 6.9% — —
January
2021		 6.3% 6.8% 10.2% 17,296
December
2020		 6.7% 6.9% 10.5% 17,411
November
2020		 6.7% 7.2% 11.5% 19,212
October
2020		 6.9% 7.3% 9.7% 16,092
September
2020		 7.8% 7.9% 11.0% 18,451
August
2020		 8.4% 6.9% 9.1% 15,368
July
2020		 10.2% 9.3% 10.7% 17,414
June
2020		 11.1% 10.2% 10.8% 17,491
May
2020		 13.3% 11.6% 16.9% 27,183
April
2020		 14.8% 12.9% 17.6% 27,433

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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