Department of Numbers

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Houston rose 1.3 percentage points in November 2020 to 9.2%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.1 percentage points higher than the Texas rate. The unemployment rate in Houston peaked in April 2020 at 14.7% and is now 5.5 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 7.9% in October 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 1.3 percentage points. You can also compare Houston unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate November 2020 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.7% -0.2 +3.1
Texas 8.1% +1.2 +4.6
Houston 9.2% +1.3 +5.4
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with November 2020 data as December 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 152,823 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 45,861. Houston employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Houston, Texas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons November 2020 Month/Month Year/Year
Houston 316,295 +45,861 +185,211

Number of Unemployed Persons

Houston, Texas Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Texas
Unemployment Rate		 Houston
Unemployment Rate		 Houston
Unemployed
December
2020		 6.7% — — —
November
2020		 6.7% 8.1% 9.2% 316,295
October
2020		 6.9% 6.9% 7.9% 270,434
September
2020		 7.8% 8.3% 9.6% 333,568
August
2020		 8.4% 6.8% 8.0% 279,690
July
2020		 10.2% 8.0% 9.4% 315,341
June
2020		 11.1% 8.4% 9.4% 316,630
May
2020		 13.3% 13.0% 14.1% 469,118
April
2020		 14.8% 13.5% 14.7% 468,045
March
2020		 4.4% 5.1% 5.7% 193,401
February
2020		 3.5% 3.5% 3.8% 131,552
January
2020		 3.5% 3.5% 3.8% 131,106

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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