Department of Numbers

El Paso, Texas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for El Paso rose 0.1 percentage points in May 2023 to 4.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.5 percentage points higher than the Texas rate. The unemployment rate in El Paso peaked in April 2020 at 14.3% and is now 9.7 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 4.1% in June 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.5 percentage points. You can also compare El Paso unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.7% +0.3 +0.1
Texas 4.1% +0.1 +0.3
El Paso 4.6% +0.1 +0.4
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with May 2023 data as June metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: El Paso, Texas, National

El Paso, Texas monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

El Paso, Texas Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in El Paso peaked in April 2020 at 49,622. There are now 32,297 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 15,291 in July 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 2,034. El Paso employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in El Paso, Texas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
El Paso 17,325 +349 +1,726

Number of Unemployed Persons

El Paso, Texas Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Texas
Unemployment Rate
El Paso
Unemployment Rate
El Paso
Unemployed
June
2023
3.6%
May
2023
3.7% 4.1% 4.6% 17,325
April
2023
3.4% 4.0% 4.5% 16,976
March
2023
3.5% 4.0% 4.4% 16,774
February
2023
3.6% 4.0% 4.3% 16,267
January
2023
3.4% 3.9% 4.2% 15,571
December
2022
3.5% 3.8% 4.1% 15,405
November
2022
3.6% 3.8% 4.1% 15,407
October
2022
3.7% 3.9% 4.1% 15,397
September
2022
3.5% 3.8% 4.1% 15,357
August
2022
3.7% 3.7% 4.1% 15,312
July
2022
3.5% 3.8% 4.1% 15,291

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.