Department of Numbers

Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Brownsville fell 0.3 percentage points in July 2021 to 9.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 3.1 percentage points higher than the Texas rate. The unemployment rate in Brownsville peaked in April 2020 at 16.9% and is now 7.6 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 8.7% in August 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.6 percentage points. You can also compare Brownsville unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate July 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 5.4% -0.5 -4.8
Texas 6.2% -0.3 -3.1
Brownsville 9.3% -0.3 -2.6
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with July 2021 data as August 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 27,537. There are now 11,737 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 14,866 in August 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 934. Brownsville employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Brownsville, Texas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons July 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Brownsville 15,800 -536 -4,220

Number of Unemployed Persons

Brownsville, Texas Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Texas
Unemployment Rate		 Brownsville
Unemployment Rate		 Brownsville
Unemployed
August
2021		 5.2% — — —
July
2021		 5.4% 6.2% 9.3% 15,800
June
2021		 5.9% 6.5% 9.6% 16,336
May
2021		 5.8% 6.6% 9.7% 16,562
April
2021		 6.1% 6.7% 9.9% 16,775
March
2021		 6.0% 6.9% 9.8% 16,699
February
2021		 6.2% 6.9% 9.7% 16,508
January
2021		 6.3% 6.8% 9.5% 16,205
December
2020		 6.7% 6.9% 9.5% 16,255
November
2020		 6.7% 7.2% 9.8% 16,592
October
2020		 6.9% 7.3% 9.9% 17,109
September
2020		 7.8% 7.9% 10.5% 17,830

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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