Department of Numbers

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Houston fell 0.0 percentage points in September 2023 to 4.5%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points higher than the Texas rate. The unemployment rate in Houston peaked in April 2020 at 13.9% and is now 9.4 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 4.1% in June 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.4 percentage points. You can also compare Houston unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.8% 0.0 +0.3
Texas 4.1% 0.0 +0.3
Houston 4.5% 0.0 +0.4
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with September 2023 data as October 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 April 2020 at 454,548. There are now 292,732 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 143,152 in November 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 18,664. Houston employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Houston, Texas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Houston 161,816 +429 +18,282

Number of Unemployed Persons

Houston, Texas Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Texas
Unemployment Rate
Houston
Unemployment Rate
Houston
Unemployed
October
2023
3.9% 4.1%
September
2023
3.8% 4.1% 4.5% 161,816
August
2023
3.8% 4.1% 4.5% 161,387
July
2023
3.5% 4.1% 4.4% 158,915
June
2023
3.6% 4.1% 4.4% 157,171
May
2023
3.7% 4.1% 4.4% 158,068
April
2023
3.4% 4.0% 4.3% 154,059
March
2023
3.5% 4.0% 4.3% 152,457
February
2023
3.6% 4.0% 4.2% 148,406
January
2023
3.4% 3.9% 4.1% 144,028
December
2022
3.5% 3.8% 4.1% 143,160
November
2022
3.6% 3.8% 4.1% 143,152

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.