Department of Numbers

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Houston fell 0.1 percentage points in February 2021 to 8.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.4 percentage points higher than the Texas rate. The unemployment rate in Houston peaked in April 2020 at 14.7% and is now 6.4 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 7.9% in October 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.4 percentage points. You can also compare Houston unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.2% -0.1 +2.7
Texas 6.9% +0.1 +3.2
Houston 8.3% -0.1 +4.5
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with February 2021 data as March metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Houston, Texas, National

Houston, Texas monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Houston, Texas Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Houston peaked in May 2020 at 469,118. There are now 189,823 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 270,434 in October 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 8,861. Houston employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Houston, Texas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Houston 279,295 -503 +147,743

Number of Unemployed Persons

Houston, Texas Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Texas
Unemployment Rate		 Houston
Unemployment Rate		 Houston
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 6.9% 8.3% 279,295
January
2021		 6.3% 6.8% 8.4% 279,798
December
2020		 6.7% 6.9% 8.3% 284,211
November
2020		 6.7% 7.2% 9.2% 316,785
October
2020		 6.9% 7.3% 7.9% 270,434
September
2020		 7.8% 7.9% 9.6% 333,568
August
2020		 8.4% 6.9% 8.0% 279,690
July
2020		 10.2% 9.3% 9.4% 315,341
June
2020		 11.1% 10.2% 9.4% 316,630
May
2020		 13.3% 11.6% 14.1% 469,118
April
2020		 14.8% 12.9% 14.7% 468,045

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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